Knights: Those Left Behind
by Matt Taylor
Summary: Yes, I live! Here's Part Seven. The Tourney at old's Ford part II!
1. Default Chapter

KNIGHTS  
  
By: Matt Taylor  
  
DISCLAIMER: All characters are the property of Squaresoft. I receive no payment for this.  
  
Notes: This takes place after Zidane, Garnet, and Vivi have escaped from Alexandria, leaving Steiner, Beatrix, and Freya to battle the queen's forces.  
  
By god, was there no end?  
  
Beatrix Dubois slammed her sword into the head of another Bandersnatch, turning to slash at another one before the first giant dog-like creature slumped to the ground. Beatrix leapt over the head of this one, and landed on it's back, cutting through it's neck. She spared a look at down the stairway. It seemed like the princess had gotten away safely, and Beatrix allowed herself a sigh of relief.  
  
It was a mistake.  
  
Another Bandersnatch slammed into her side, knocking her for a loop. Beatrix found herself pinned to the floor, half of her body leaning of the side of the stairwell and over into the empty space of the hidden tower. She could smell the things hideous breath, and averted her sight from having to look at its red beady eyes, and long tongue. Suddenly, the thing screamed and fell off of her and into the darkness below.  
  
"Are you alright, Beatrix?" Came a man's voice. Beatrix accepted the hand of Adelbert Steiner, as he helped her to her feet.  
  
"I'm okay." She said, shouldering "Save the Queen." They had been at this for what felt like hours already. Steiner lifted his two-handed Ice Brand with the same ease that a lesser man would lift a dagger, and lead the way back into battle. To the side, Beatrix saw the Dragon Knight Freya battling a group of Type-C black mages, her spear a flash of lightning in the darkness of the stairwell.  
  
Beatrix could see more Black mages entering into the small area where they fought from below. She lifted her sword abover her head, focused magical energy into the blade, and charged. She slashed it down into the group of black mages, as the blade hit, hundreds of streams of red, and white-hot fire slammed through the air from it, burning the mages beyond repair. The Climhazzard had managed to cut down the number of enemies for awhile, but she could already see more entering from a doorway farther down the spire.  
  
"Steiner! We can't stay here!" She yelled over the din of battle, "We can't fight this many!"  
  
"Where can we go then? Not back into the castle?" He said. No, to go that way was suicide.  
  
"Halt!" A female voice called from above. She looked up and saw a large battalion of Alexandrian soldiers charge through the entrance above.  
  
"General Beatrix Dubois," The woman above was dressed in a red body-suit and breastplate, along with purple leggings, marking her as a commander. "Captain Adelbert Steiner, you are both accused of treason in the face of Queen Brahne's law, You are both hereby stripped of military rank by the order of her majesty, and sentenced to execution, effective immediately." The commander motioned with her hand, and the battalion behind her charged. Steiner stepped up to meet them, as Freya continued to battle the now thinning number of black mages.  
  
"Beatrix, don't just stand there, fight!" Freya yelled. Beatrix found she couldn't move. She saw the Alexandrian troops charge at them, her troops. She recognized several of them by name. There was not one member of the current army that she had not trained personally, or had some part of training. Now here they where, charging at her, with the intent to kill. Steiner continued to fight them off, his sword flashing up and down. She could tell just by looking that he was trying not to use lethal force, but they had no such ideas. Steiner was bleeding from several wounds, some of which looked deep. Still, they fell around him, until one of them managed to get by.  
  
Beatrix still stood there, in a trance, not even noticing the deadly sword ramming point-first at her.  
  
"Beatrix, look out!" Steiner's voice yelled. Finally she snapped out of the trance, and barely moved in time. As she did so, the blade slid by her shoulder, cutting deep into it, but not hitting bone. The soldier almost lost her balance, but turned around, and brought her sword up again. Beatrix put her hand up against the cut, and brought the now bloodied glove up in front of her face.  
  
"You...you cut me." She said, her voice only registering an awed type of shock. She had helped train this woman, helped her learn the small amount of magical abilities that was necessary for an Alexandrian soldier. Taught her to know the importance of honor, and loyalty, and to know when to put these aside for the greater good. She had just cut her.  
  
"Death to all enemies of the queen!" the soldier said, and raised her broad sword to attack.  
  
Beatrix vision was suddenly filled with a red field, and heard what felt like a snarl rise in her throat. These people who she had trained, had helped to destroy the people of Burmecia, to help destroy and subjugate all cities that the queen wanted to fulfill her all consuming greed, she was certain that they would help the queen track down Princess Garnet. She saw visions of them chasing the princess down, the princess that she, Beatrix Dubois, Holy Knight, had sworn on her own blood to protect.  
  
Beatrix raised Save the Queen, and met the broad sword in the air, the power of the holy sword literally shattering the smaller sword in it's users hands. The soldier looked up at the general, horrible fear evident for the first time in her eyes.  
  
"General...I'm..." Beatrix heard nothing, and rammed her sword straight through the soldier's chest, blood spurting from the wound, covering the sword. Finally the red field left her eye, and Beatrix looked down at her work. Her sword had nailed the now dead soldier to the floor, her eyes rolling in their sockets. Beatrix felt her hands began to shake, and drop the sword. It clattered to the floor, just as two other forms run up the stair.  
  
"Don't worry guys, reinforcements are here!" both ran past Beatrix, who suddenly felt her legs grow weak, and the world grow black.  
  
_________________________  
  
Would somebody please tell the guy with the hammer to take a break?  
  
Beatrix groaned, and slowly shook her head from side to side. She had a headache worse than any in her life, She tried to sit up but the hammering doubled in intensity, and she fell back again.  
  
"Easy there honey, don't go forcin' yo self up." She heard a strangely accented female voice say. Beatrix struggled to open her eye, and saw a blurry shape, that gradually dissolved into a woman with light blue hair, held in a white bandanna.  
  
"Hey Blank, she's awake." The woman said. From out of her vision stepped a man dressed in short pants, and several belts, along with a large band of leather that almost covered his eyes. He had no shirt, but his skin seemed covered with faint scars that looked like the remains of stitches.  
  
"Beatrix, right?" He said. She tried to nod, but her head hurt even worse.  
  
"Go tell the others she's awake, Blank honey."  
  
"Sure Ruby." With that the man left. Beatrix turned her head and inspected the woman called Ruby. She was about the same height as herself, with a white blouse unbuttoned to an almost scandalous degree, along with a light blue skirt, and dark blue leggings.  
  
"You gave us all quite a scare, honey." She said.  
  
"Wh...where..." She forced out.  
  
"Lindblum, or more precisely a hidden set of chambers underneath Lindblum castle. Blank, and Marcus brought you guys here." With that the door banged open, and Beatrix clutched her head again. From outside a large man dressed in aviators goggles, a vest, and pants and a shirt that where much too tight for him stomped in.  
  
"You're finally up I see, Gwah-ha-ha! That's good." He said.  
  
"Boss, quiet down!" Ruby said. "She's still really hurt."  
  
"Oh, sorry." The man said. "Names Baku, by the way, I'm the leader of Tantalus, it's my boys who saved your lives back there."  
  
Beatrix mumbled a thank you, and felt her eye-lid get heavy again.  
  
"You're obviously still really tired, so get some sleep okay, everything's alright, you guys are safe here."  
  
That was all she needed, and she was asleep again.  
  
________________________  
  
"You know, you're gonna wear a hole in the floor if you keep doin' that." Marcus said from his seat, Across from him a small ugly man in a dog collar sat and ate a large sandwich.  
  
"Yeah man, relax." The man called Cinna said.  
  
"I cannot relax." The object of said pacing spoke. Adelbert Steiner paced back and forth across the worn waiting room, thankfully his armor was placed against the wall on the far side of the room, so there was none of it's annoying clanking sound, still he kept his long broad sword strapped to his back, over a brown tunic shirt emblazoned with Alexandria's royal crest over the heart, and pants, tied around his waist with a black leather belt decorated with a gold buckle bearing the same crest.  
  
He had been like this ever since they had arrived, Steiner had been stuck in a bed for several days, along with the dragon knight Freya. They had both recovered well, with the exception of severe exhaustion, and strained muscles.  
  
"Don't worry, she'll wake up, when she wakes up." Said Marcus once again. While Steiner understood the basic logic of the statement, he couldn't bring himself to follow through with it. He finally managed to stop his pacing, and lean against the wall. It was not proper for a knight to be acting in such a flustered manner, though heaven knows he had done it before. Everything was too confusing right now, why had he entrusted the princess to a thief? Why had he left her to go help Beatrix and Freya when it was his sworn duty to protect the Princess at all costs?  
  
And what about Beatrix herself. He had once stood with her and fought a fully grown Grand Dragon, and she never flinched, why had she reacted like she did in the tower? Too many questions and not enough answers. Steiner sighed and finally sat down, pouring a drink from the flagon of wine sitting on a small table.  
  
"Jeesh! You're really shook up aren't you?" Marcus said. "Don't worry about the princess, she's got Zidane and Vivi with her, she's in good hands."  
  
That was another thing, the princess had gone with a thief to the Outer continent, a continent never explored by anyone from Alexandria, a continent that had been the subject of hundreds of ghost stories, and tales, but he wasn't worried about her! Had he actually learned to trust the thief, Zidane? Could that be it? A few weeks ago, the concept would seem absolutely foreign to him, but now....  
  
The sound of a door opening and closing shook Steiner from his musing. Standing in the doorway of the hidden chambers was a large oglop, with a very funny looking mustache dressed in a red cloth cape, behind him stood a dignified man with long hair, and a beard, and a grey robe of state.  
  
"Ah, and how is everything down here?" The oglop asked.  
  
"Regent Cid." Said Steiner, in his confusion forgetting to bow and show proper respect, something Cinna and Marcus declined to do anyway.  
  
"Captain Steiner. How is the General?" Regent Cid asked.  
  
"She's asleep, she woke up for a bit, but went back to asleep almost immediately after." Came the voice of Baku. The large Tantalus leader walked into the room, followed by Ruby, and Blank.  
  
"So she's alright?" Steiner asked.  
  
"Fine."  
  
"That's good." He said with obvious relief in his voice.  
  
"Well Captain, as you can probably guess, the three of you are in quite a bit of trouble." Said the regent. "Yourself, General Beatrix, and Miss Freya are all wanted criminals in both Alexandria, and Lindblum."  
  
"Lindblum? What do you mean?" Said Steiner in shock.  
  
"Sadly, before you got here, Alexandria launched a very successful attack on Lindblum Grand Castle. We have surrendered the city over to Queen Brahne." Said the minister, Sadness evident in his voice. Steiner leaned down in his seat, and placed a hand over his forehead.  
  
"Thankfully, the majority of Alexandria's military force has left the city, loading up supplies into the ships, and heading back to Alexandria. We can only assume the queen is planning for her next strike, as to where that could be, I haven't the foggiest. She has already conquered all the other nations on the Mist continent. Only a token force remains behind here." Said Cid, as he paced.  
  
"For the moment, you are safe here, but we must request that you not go out into the city, you and the General are far too well known to the Alexandrian soldiers here, we've asked the same of Miss Freya." Said Artania. "The only places where there are not soldiers, is in these underground chambers, and most of the upper portion of the castle.  
  
"Of course, we'll make sure no one sees us."  
  
"Not that you will be alone, of course, There are several large groups of Burmecian refugees in these chambers, Miss Freya is with them now."  
  
"Keeping a load of Burmecians right under Alexandria's nose, huh? Not bad Cid." Said Baku.  
  
"Of course, even during the attack they didn't realize they were here." Said the Regent, with a good amount of pride.  
  
"But enough of this talk for now, get some rest, we'll come up with something. Hopefully, the Princess, and Master Zidane will take care of this Kuja, then we will be able to launch a counterattack against Queen Brahne."  
  
"Yeah, we gotta get back to our base for now, start rebuilding." Said Baku, standing up, as his men (and one women) followed.  
  
"Of course Baku, thanks once again." Said the Regent.  
  
"No Prob." With that, the members of Tantalus marched out the door. Regent Cid turned around and spoke to Steiner.  
  
"Some food will be brought down in a few minutes, for now, get some rest."  
  
"Thank you, your honor." The Regent and the Minister stepped out of the door, and Steiner leaned his head down. What was he going to do now?  
  
********************  
  
"It is so good to see you again Freya!"  
  
"You to, Wei."  
  
Freya Cescent, One time dragon knight of Burmecia stood amid a crowd of Burmecians, peppering her with questions. Her old friend Wei stood in front of her, her husband, Kal, next to her.  
  
"Are you going to be here long enough to see my children born?" Wei asked.  
  
"Looks like it. I am not going to be able to leave this place for quite awhile, it seems." Freya sighed.  
  
"Oh I know. We have to stay in and around the underground complex until the Regent can come up with someway to get rid of these Alexandrians infesting the city." Said another Burmecian.  
  
"I am certain the Regent is working on it, He's already found the source of Queen Brahne's Black Mages, and has sent some people to investigate it. All we can do now is hope for the best."  
  
"Many of us are worried Freya." Said Kal. "Many have lost hope of ever rebuilding Burmecia, with the king dead, and Prince Puck of God knows where..."  
  
"Do not fret, we are still alive, and while we live there is always hope."  
  
"I know you're right Freya, but convincing all these people will be difficult."  
  
Freya sighed slightly, yes, that was the problem wasn't it. Hundreds of refugees, some visibly depressed, and despondent, It was only people like Wei, and others with children, who hoped for the future. It was no surprise, really, Burmecia was destroyed, the king dead, she herself has taken the life of Master Gizamaluke, guardian of the passage and patron of the Dragon people. Burmecia had never face so dark a time.  
  
"Alexandria will pay for this! We'll take a life of theirs for every life they took of ours!" Some yelled out. Several others agreed with this hartily, raising their fists in the air. Freya fought back a grimace.  
  
"That is enough!" She yelled. All faces in the large chamber turned to her. The man who spoke stormed up to her, but Freya beat him to the first word. "The last thing we need is more violence. We need to concentrate on gathering all the refugees here, and starting the rebuilding."  
  
"Yes, but first we need to destroy Alexandria! Make them pay for what they did to us, only then can we rebuild."  
  
"Yes they'll only attack us again if we don't."  
  
"We must do it for the king, and all those who died!"  
  
Other such shouts where added. This was not good.  
  
"ENOUGH!!!!" Freya leapt on top of a table, her spear raised above all of them. "You are fools! Fools!!!! Would you bring about more pain? More death? More senseless destruction!!! Will this return your fathers? Your wives? Your lost children?"  
  
Freya panted visibly. Feeling a type of rage she had never felt before. She always knew that, as a dragoon knight, involved in the defending of her people and country, that she would feel such anger someday, but she never expected to feel it directed at her own people.  
  
"Would you fools bring even more death upon these children who survived the slaughter!? Would you give them more reason to toss and turn at night? To sleep with one eyes open and towards the door? WOULD YOU!!??"  
  
Freya pointed her spear towards the far wall, and spread it out over the whole crowd.  
  
"This is what your so-called revenge would do. It would make no good, only more evil! I am a Dragoon, a knight of Burmecia, and as I knight I have a duty to live to a sworn code of honor! I see other Dragoon's here, some of them screaming for some ill-conceived revenge as well."  
  
As she said this, several of the large crowd hung their head or looked away in shame, but others openly scowled.  
  
"Listen to me, and listen well, We can't, we mustn't bring more war on this continent. The Regent has already sent agents to look into a possible source of Queen Brahne's black mages, and, if they are successful, this war will be over. No! Revenge will do us no good. I plead with you to think about what I've said."  
  
With this she leapt down from the table, gave a last look at Wei and Kal, who nodded in approval, and walked out of the huge quarters, leaving these refugees in a quandary.  
  
********************  
  
"Did you see that?"  
  
"Yes."  
  
"Still nothing?"  
  
"I....feel strange."  
  
Two figures stood in a separate hallway, the Dragoon knight named Freya had not even seen them.  
  
"Just strange?"  
  
"And....I don't know how to describe it."  
  
"Well...I suppose that's a start."  
  
"What will we do, Lord Puck?" Asked the taller of the two. The other was a small Burmecian, dressed in some-what ragged, but colorful clothing, the other was tall and noble, dressed in an armored breastplate, and shin-guards, covered up by a worn traveling jacket, a large brimmed hat, decorated with a white feather, and leather trousers. He carried a long spear with a razor-sharp, curved blade at the end. Blonde hair hung from his head.  
  
"I think," He gave his comrade knowing glance. "That we will be staying in Lindblum for awhile longer."  
  
"If you insist Lord Puck."  
  
TO BE CONTINUED. 


	2. Part two: Remembering the past

KNIGHTS  
  
By: Matt Taylor  
  
Disclaimer: All Final Fantasy characters belong to Squaresoft. I have no ownership over them, and make no money from their use.  
  
********************  
  
At least there where no soldiers in this part of the castle.  
  
Age had done nothing to slow down the Regents mind or his shrewdness. Queen Brahne must have been in quite a hurry to go ahead with such an agreement. This area was the highest point in Lindblum, using the giant telescope one could see for miles and miles around, even below the mist.  
  
Right now, Beatrix enjoyed just looking at the sky. The endless blue sky and white clouds was so preferable to looking at the ground right now. Fifteen years....  
  
Fifteen years of loyal service.  
  
Five of those years as leader of the entire army, wielding the sword given to that leader.  
  
Beatrix fingered delicately at the handle of her sword "Save the Queen." Funny, she really shouldn't call it "her" sword anymore. Save the Queen was the symbolic weapon of the leader of Alexandria's armies, and the queen's bodyguard. Forged years ago by a legendary synthesis who had disappeared shortly after, and blessed by High Priests from all five worshipped Eidolons, the Phoenix, Bahamut, Shiva, Ifrit, and Ramuh. It was one of the five holy swords as well. All in all not a normal weapon.  
  
But what did that matter now? She had used this weapon to kill one of her own soldiers, a person she had trained and put her heart into. She pulled out the blade, and saw the dried blood still marring the silver metal and rubies. Beatrix humphed and put the blade back in its scabbard. The soldier she had killed had called her General once before her death, but she wasn't a general anymore. Both she and Steiner had been stripped of their hard won military ranks. Steiner's own Knights of Pluto had been arrested after his "betrayal" during the Princesses first attempt at running away, and she could only guess how he was dealing with that.  
  
"Well, you certainly seem depressed."  
  
Beatrix turned around and saw a large Oglop standing behind her. Beatrix quickly regained her composure and bowed.  
  
"Your Grace." She said.  
  
"I hadn't expected to see you out here." He said.  
  
"I...was just thinking sir."  
  
"About the queen?" Regent Cid asked.  
  
"Yes, and a few other things."  
  
"Things have changed rather quickly for you, it's no surprise that you'd be a little off center." He said. Beatrix hefted her sword up, and stared at one of the Rubies, as if all the answers to her current troubles lay within it's shimmering red colors.  
  
"I killed one of my own men with this sword." She said, her voice not betraying her current feelings.  
  
"You didn't have any choice in the matter. She would have killed you."  
  
"I didn't think that then. All I could think was that I had trained this soldier, trained her and taught her, and then she went and attacked me. I felt like..."  
  
"It's all right."  
  
"No it isn't!" Beatrix shot back, her fists clenched. She turned away, embarrassed at her outburst. Cid gave her a sympathetic look, being a knight, a true knight, was more difficult than most people realized.  
  
"A leader does not take the lives of their own men! It is against every rule ever set down by the knhighthood."  
  
"But slaughtering a country that was no threat to you is?" Cid said, There was no malice or anger in his voice, but Beatrix felt it cut through her anyway. Beatrix stepped back and tried to speak, but no words were forthcoming. Finally she turned back around and clenched her fists against the guard rail.  
  
"I don't mean to be hurtful to you, General, but it is the truth." He said gently.  
  
"I...I know this...You think I don't?!" She said, restraining her voice from screaming. Cid was silent for awhile.  
  
"Listen, general, the last few days have been very long for you. I suggest not thinking too much about the past right now, and concentrate on healing, and resting. The past is important, but not so important to justify the sacrifice of the present." Cid said, and walked away. Beatrix stood there for a few more minutes, mind reeling, before finally heading towards the entrance to the lower areas.  
  
********************  
  
This was a good a way to get out his frustration as any.  
  
Adelbert Steiner sat against the wall of a cavernously empty room. It had once been used as a storage center in this underground chambers, but at the moment was useless. He sat against the wall with his whetstone, sharpening his sword with a vengeance. He looked over the blue blade for a moment, and judged it good enough. It was an Ice Brand, an incredibly rare sword, enchanted by an ice spirit. Such swords could be made at any forge, but it took a specially trained smith to make one. He had received this blade from an chest located in the secret stairwell of Alexandria Castle, and was as good as sword as he had ever carried.  
  
He sat up finally, and took several deep breaths. He raised his sword, and began to battle. His sword swished through the air, cutting through imaginary opponents with the greatest of ease. Steiner found practice to be a good way to get out some aggression, especially at times like this. Steiner found himself panting slightly after half an hour, heavily after an hour, and finally stopped.  
  
"I should have expected to find you doing this." An amused voice called from the doorway. Steiner turned and saw Beatrix standing in the doorway, with a skin of wine.  
  
"Beatrix." He said.  
  
"I hate to admit it, Adelbert, but you're stronger than you where when you left Alexandria."  
  
"When the Princess tried to run away?"  
  
"Yeah."  
  
"Well, I've found that raging monsters trying to kill you actually make better sparring partners than other humans."  
  
"Really?"  
  
"Really. What brings you here?"  
  
"Just walking around. Join me for a drink?"  
  
"Why not."  
  
********************  
  
Beatrix lifted a small glass, and sniffed the reddish liquid inside. She smiled, apparently satisfied with the vintage, and took a sip. She and Steiner sat in a small residential area in the underground chambers. Steiner gazed solemnly at an ancient tapestry that decorated a wall.  
  
"How long have you served Alexandria, Steiner?" She suddenly asked.  
  
"Hhmm? Oh...about 18 years."  
  
"To think...you and I...we worked hard to get where we are...where in life, I worked months, no, years, non-stop to become a general, and in five minutes it was all gone."  
  
"You don't...regret betraying her highness?" Steiner asked. His voice not betraying what he might be thinking.  
  
"No. Not for a minute."  
  
"Good." Steiner drained the small glass in an instant, and looked right at her. "I too am somewhat upset at losing my rank, but I still swore a vow to the Princess, and this doesn't change that."  
  
Beatrix looked over at him with some surprise. She sighed and drained her own cup, reaching for the skin to refill. "You're right, but that won't stop me from feeling..."  
  
Steiner waved his hand, and she knew he understood. Beatrix refilled her glass, and continued to stare into it's red depths. It was not until several minutes afterward that she put it down.  
  
"Steiner?" She asked softly.  
  
"Hm?"  
  
"Do you remember when we where knighted?" She said. Steiner looked startled for a moment, but then, a small smile spread on his face.  
  
"Yes I remember."  
  
"When King Til broke the Magdalene Brotherhood?"  
  
"Yes." He said. Beatrix found herself remembering...remembering the past.  
  
********************  
  
THE PAST  
  
"Is this the Outer Continent?" Beatrix asked the young squire next to her, a woman dressed in the typical armor and uniform of an Alexandrian soldier. She herself was not dressed so differently, a silver helmet, chestplate, green suit and broad sword.  
  
"Yeah...weird isn't it?" Both of them looked over the lay of what land they could see. Other ships landed on the shore, spilling out their troops. "It's so different from the Mist continent."  
  
That was true. Even below the mist, it was a green lush place, but from what they could see the place was long and flat. She could make out a marsh in the distance, and in the distance in front of their landing area was the most huge, lush forest she had ever seen in her life.  
  
"Squires!" Both of them jumped in surprised, as a tall, middle aged woman approached them from behind. The two woman quickly straightened up and saluted her.  
  
"We don't have time for you both to be milling around like a pair of slack jawed gawkers." She pointed to the woman Beatrix had been speaking with. "Go and report to your master." With this, the woman ran, the older woman turned to Beatrix.  
  
"Squire Dubois, you are the squire to the king himself, so you must stay with him at all times during such incidents as this."  
  
"Yes, My lady." She said quickly, and bowed. The woman was General Millicent Soress, leader of Alexandria's armies, and bodyguard of the royal family. Beatrix ran to rejoin the kings group, sparing a look at the general, when she had her back turned, dressed in sparkling silver plate mail, and a long rose-red cape, with the sword "Save the Queen" hanging from her belt. Beatrix wondered, not for the first time, what it would be like to wield that sword.  
  
"There you are, my young squire." A deep male voice said. Beatrix turned and saw it's source, and, like every other time she had seen him, she felt a wonderful sense of awe go through her. The man sat atop a large, ocean blue chocobo, itself covered in armor over it's head, neck, and main body. He was covered in a brilliant set of diamond armor, and helmet, and a pair of gauntlets, he wore a dark ocean blue cape over his shoulders, and a long scabbard, and sword hung at his side. The man was handsome, in an older way, and smiled at her with both humor and understanding.  
  
"I...I'm sorry, your grace. I was just..."  
  
"It's alright, Beatrix. You have never been here before?" King Til asked.  
  
"No sir."  
  
"Perhaps someday, when things have settled down you will get the chance to explore this great continent. Perhaps create a legendary story for yourself." He said, looking out over the land for a moment. As he did so, soldiers formed up in lines along the shore. Beatrix could see the Knights of Pluto line up in front of their commander as well.  
  
"Looks like our guides are finally here." Beatrix turned in slight surprise, and saw General Soress standing next to the king, she had not even seen her approaching. She was pointing off handedly to the east, and she saw a pair of figures approaching. As they walked forward, her eyes opened in shock. They where two small green-skinned figures, dressed in home-spun, colorful clothing, one of whom had a long grey beard, and eyebrows. Both of them stopped in front of the king, and instead of bowing, raised their hands happily, as the older one spoke.  
  
"Rally-ho to you, your highness!" The king smiled at this.  
  
"Rally-ho to you Scotland Sheepherder, and to you Michel Pathfinder. It has been...many years." The king said.  
  
"Aye! That it has, and I have gotten nae any handsomer in that time," He and the king laughed at some private joke, "but ah dinnae kin that you're here to revisit old memories." The...creature called Scotland Sheepherder said, it's voice colored in a strange accent, Beatrix didn't recognize.  
  
"Sir Dewain!" The King called. With that Sir Michael Dewain, commander of the Knights of Pluto, marched over to the king, and bowed.  
  
"Your highness."  
  
"This is Michel Pathfinder, he will be guiding your detachment through the western pass." Dewain looked at the short green skinned fellow, and nodded. He and Pathfinder returned to where the Knights of Pluto were stationed."  
  
"Is that it?" The king pointed to the huge forest in the short distance.  
  
"Aye, that be Magdalene Forest, that is where Sloane and his brotherhood are hiding. They be thieves, Stephan," Beatrix reacted in slight shock that some one would refer to the king by his first name. "But there be whole armies of them in the dark reaches, no dwarf has ever returned from yon forest since Sloane set up there. If I have the right to ask, what is it yah want with him?"  
  
"He has waged no end of attacks on my people, killing them, and stealing money, riches, anything he can get his hand on, and now he has my daughter." Beatrix saw the look in her kings face, and shivered slightly. She did not want to be in Thomas Sloane's, the self-proclaimed King of Thieves, shoes when he found wherever he was hiding. The King turned and addressed the soldiers. "Alright, set up a base camp, and defenses!"  
  
"This be what you will take the bastard with, Stephan? An army of woman?" Scotland Sheepherder said in surprise. General Soress bristled, but the King only smiled again.  
  
"They are much stronger than you think, Scotland, trust me on this."  
  
"Acch! I shall take your word for that, as I did on the Forgotten Continent." Beatrix felt like she was overhearing some private conversation not meant for her ears, but couldn't help but wonder just what the Forgotten Continent was.  
  
********************  
  
Adelbert Steiner watched as his commander returned to where they where placed, a small green...person walking alongside him. Steiner looked around over the barren land, and felt a shiver go up his spine. He had heard most of the stories about this continent. As far as he knew, they where the first Alexandrians to come to his continent in hundreds of years. There where stories, stories of a city of witches and warlocks who enslaved mythic monsters, of a giant, misshapen tree that spawned horrible, undead monsters, of a temple that literally breathed magic power, power so strong that it shook the ground for miles around, and other such things.  
  
Quite frankly, he was glad they weren't going to be here that long.  
  
"My loyal soldiers." Sir Dewain's voice called out. "This man is Michel Pathfinder, our guide through yonder forest, Starting tomorrow morning, we will set out with the king, and his battalion, but will separate from him and take the western path, hopefully to meet with him where Sloane has his base." Steiner looked over his commander's battalion, the Knights of Pluto, and a large contingent of Alexandrian soldiers. Steiner turned his head as he heard the king shout out orders to set up the base camp.  
  
"What I don't get is this," Steiner heard some of his fellow Pluto Knights talking. "If these guys are raiding the Mist Continent, how could they be across the sea?" Frankly, that was a question Steiner had himself. But the king seemed sure of himself, and Steiner had rarely seen his king make a bad decision. Sir Dewain turned to them all and spoke again.  
  
"Alright, begin building, Steiner, Corgin, Terras..." Sir Dewain spoke and pointed to several others, and they went to take guard positions.  
  
********************  
  
The forest was beautiful, was one of the first thoughts Beatrix had as they marched. She could see many owls perched in the branches above, and birds were chirping. They had separated from Sir Dewain, and had been walking for the last hour. Her king, and the dwarf had been talking quietly, with Beatrix only catching snippets of the conversation. The dwarf smoked from a pipe with a long stem, and she tried to avoid the puffs of smoke, as she had never cared for smoking herself.  
  
"Um, your grace?" She asked. He turned his head, in slight surprise to her.  
  
"Yes, Beatrix." The king said to his young squire.  
  
"I was wondering how you cam to know our guide?" She asked, wondering if she had overstepped her boundaries. The king merely chuckled slightly.  
  
"Scotland, I knew him in my wilder youth. During my adventurous years." Beatrix nodded, the king had told her briefly of his "adventurous years," with his comrades, Cid of Lindblum, Prince Puck of Burmecia, and an incredibly strong fighter named Baku. He had not told her much, claiming that Cid had written it all down somewhere, no doubt making himself look like the hero in it, he had said, with a laugh.  
  
"Aye! I was already half way through my middle years, when ah ended up being high-jacked aboard their ship, and had to come along with em!"  
  
"Hah! You shouldn't have been on the ship in the first place, then when that sea beast attacked, we wouldn't have had to speed away so quickly."  
  
"Bah! I remember what Ah saw!" The king shook his head briefly before turning back to the path. And suddenly, Beatrix felt a lot less comfortable in this forest than she had a moment ago. She couldn't help it, the birds had stopped chirping, and the owls were gone. She saw the king felt the same way, as she watched him draw his sword "Blood-bane," A long-sword with a crimson red blade that seemed to even glow slightly in the darkness of this area of the forest. She drew her own broad sword, and noticed soldiers behind her doing like-wise.  
  
For what felt like forever, there was silence, not peaceful silence, but suffocating silence. One minute they where alone.  
  
And the next they weren't.  
  
Beatrix would have felt envious of the thieves ability to blend into their surroundings so well, she would have of she wasn't so busy hacking and slashing. Blades and daggers flung through the air as men seemed to drop from the very branches. Beatrix swung her sword again, catching another bandit in the chest. There was barely time to breath when another came, wielding a dagger that cut her slightly along the arm. She reared back and put her sword through his chest.  
  
He swung the sword in a wide circle, hoping to get some room to see what was going on. The soldiers seemed to be doing well, but the thieves held their ground, and more where pouring in. She saw General Soress fighting off several at once, even a trained mercenary was no match for a warrior wielding a sacred sword, and she was in no danger. She cut down another bandit, and looked for the king.  
  
She saw what looked like a flash of his crimson blade further down the path, and started to cut her way there.  
  
*******************  
  
Well, it seemed the king was right again. As he usually was. These men where definitely thieves, and from there numbers, they where probably part of Sloane's brotherhood.  
  
Steiner parried a blow with his sword, quickly moving aside to avoid one from behind. The Knights of Pluto fought bravely, but there were so many of them. He saw that Corgan and Phillis where already on the ground, lying in pools of their own blood. This only made the young soldier madder, and he fought with a new abandon.  
  
The other soldiers fought hard, with Sir Dewain yelling them on when he was not swinging his own blade. Steiner knocked a dagger from one man's hand, and kneed him in the waist, before knocking him out with the but of his sword. He immediately swung it around, catching another in the waist. The next minutes where a blur to him, hack and slash at any of the bandits that came near him.  
  
Steiner found himself toe to toe with a man in armor, a full set of armor no less, who had already decapitated a large amount of soldiers. He lifted his own sword and caught the robber knight's blade, and was almost forced to his knees. Steiner was one of the strongest men of the Knight's of Pluto, but he had never felt strength like this before. Steiner felt himself being pushed to the ground.  
  
`No! I will not die here!" Steiner managed to push back. The Robber knight seemed surprised, as Steiner was able to get back to an even footing with him. Steiner then forced himself forward, knocking the robber knight off balance, and slamming, shoulder first at him, knocking him to the ground. Steiner ran past him and the knight gave chase. He finally turned and swung an over head chop at the man. The rogue caught the blade on his own, but now he was the one being forced down.  
  
Steiner was feeling good about his chances now, and would have kept on feeling that way if another bandit hadn't interfered. Steiner saw him out of the corner of his eye and moved. The man's dagger hit only air, and he found a sword slammed into his side. Steiner turned and was met with the Rogue knights blade slamming down at him. He just caught the thing on his own sword, but was sent to the ground.  
  
Steiner saw the Robber Knight stand over his and raise his sword, point downward, over his chest. So this was how he would die, eh? On his back in a forest, on some god forsaken continent far from his own. Steiner closed his eyes and prepared for the final blow, but it never came. Steiner finally opened his eyes, and saw the rogue in battle with his commander, Sir Dewain. Steiner watched the two of them battle, before having to defend himself again.  
  
It had felt like hours had passed. Steiner had killed yet another opponent, and turned and saw his commander was still fighting the robber knight. Steiner saw that it seemed like the Alexandrians were winning. The thieves had finally stopped pouring out of the woodwork, and were now on the receiving end of the attack. Steiner saw his commander flal out of the corner of his eyes, and the night raise his blade. He knew what was going to happen and ran to intercept it.  
  
But he was too late.  
  
Steiner stopped in shock, as he saw the spurt of blood, as the sword went through Dewain's breastplate. Dewain went shock still for a moment, before falling limp. Steiner didn't scream, didn't feel anything, but raised his sword and charged. The rogue was still pulling his sword out of the commander's body, when he found Steiner's own lade jutting through his chest. Steiner pulled the blade sideways, cutting through the man's side. Steiner couldn't see the man's eyes, but from the way his head was carried, he was shocked beyond belief. The man fell dead to the ground.  
  
Steiner dropped his own sword, and rushed to his commander's side.  
  
"Sir Dewain!" He said. Dewain lifted his shaking hand, and Steiner took it.  
  
"Steiner...You're a knight now." And with that, Sir Dewain closed his eyes, and died. Steiner felt surprised at this. But steeled himself, and picked up his sword. He was a knight now, he had to find the Princess.  
  
********************  
  
"Just like old times, isn't it?" The king asked. Beside him Scotland Sheepherder, swung an battle axe, designed for a man of his size.  
  
"Aye! Ah could have gone without this type ah reminiscing though."  
  
Blood-bane was a blur in the air, decapitating whatever it touched. There where splatters of blood, other peoples for sure, on the kings armor, and he had abandoned his Blue Chocobo near the front of the forest. Beatrix made her way to the king, slashing through whatever got in her way. The battle had finally turned and the kings troops were winning the battle.  
  
Suddenly another soldier ran out of the deeper part of the forest, and fell at the kings feet. He bended down, and helped her to a sitting position.  
  
Beatrix could not hear what was being said. But she saw the soldier, slump down, and the king gently lay her down on the ground.  
  
"Come! This way!" He yelled over the din of battle, Beatrix then followed her king into the darkness of the forest.  
  
********************  
  
Steiner found himself in the darkness of the forest. He had to find the Princess. He had been attacked several times since leaving the forces, but had pretty much been left alone. Steiner heard fighting in another part of the forest, and ran towards the source of the sound.  
  
Steiner finally came out of the maze like woods, to find an even bigger battle taking place. He was in what looked like a make-shift village, in a large clearing deep in the forest. Alexandrian soldiers fought thieves and bandits in their own home. Steiner flung himself into the battle, slashing at every bandit that got in front of him.  
  
Steiner spared a look at the area near the back of the battle, and saw the kings Crimson blade swinging through the air. Steiner fought his way to that area, and saw his king trading blows with a tall man with blonde hair and a goatee.  
  
Steiner recognized the sight of Thomas Sloane from his commander's description of him. He and the king traded blows, with neither of them gaining any headway. He looked over the are and saw no sing of Princess Garnet. The king and Sloane fought in front of a large building, and Steiner thought that it looked like the type of building a man like Sloane would make his Headquarters. Steiner ran past them both, and into the building.  
  
Steiner slashed his way past one guard, and caught the blade of another, before kicking him in the stomach. Steiner ran past both of them, and found this are to be heavily guarded. Steiner found himself fighting several men at once, and taking some deep cuts along the way, but managing to power through them all.  
  
Steiner rammed through an other door, and saw two, heavily armed men standing over a small girl, tied up in rope.  
  
"Princess!"  
  
Both men charged at him, but Steiner was too angry to care, He rammed his sword forward, and took one in the chest. He caught the others blade, pushed him back, and drove his sword into him as well. Soon both were down. Steiner took a knife and cut the Princesses ropes.  
  
"W...who are you?" She asked tentatively.  
  
"I...I am a knight of Alexandria. I am here to rescue you." Steiner quickly gathered the small child up in his arms, and ran.  
  
*******************  
  
Beatrix watched her king fight Sloane, as she fought off his main guard. Beatrix dropped her opponent to the ground, and turned on another. The thieves where starting to thin out, and they where definitely winning.  
  
Beatrix turned and saw her king block a blow, and Sloane ram inward with a shoulderblock. He knocked the king back a bit, and swung his sword for a killing blow. Beatrix screamed and ran, her own blade intercepting Sloane's.  
  
"Out of my way girl!" He yelled at her. Beatrix remained silent, but felt Sloane's far superior strength, pushing her back. Sloane slide his sword along her own blade with great force, causing her own blade to be thrown to the side. His fist connected with her head, and she went down. The king charged again, Blood-bane struck the thiefs sword with such a force that the common steel sword shattered.  
  
As this happened, Beatrix saw someone leave Sloane's Headquarters, a tall man in knights armor, holding a small child. Beatrix recognized the child and ran over to them.  
  
"Princess Garnet. Is she safe?"  
  
"Yes." The man said, "She is unhurt."  
  
"Garnet?" In that small instant, the king was distracted from Sloane, and the thief king took advantage. He took a dagger from his belt, and slid it right into the kings waist. King Til did not register any real surprise, but fell to the ground. Garnet saw this.  
  
"Daddy!?" She yelled, and began to scream. Beatrix looked in shock at her fallen king, and did not notice the white glow building up around the Princess. Suddenly the ground around them began to shake, and all the fighters stopped fighting in order to try to regain footing.  
  
It was then Ifrit appeared.  
  
The princesses body was surrounded with a blindingly bright light. And from where she sat in that knights arms, screaming, a horrible form took shape in the air above her. The darkness shaped itself into a huge demonic form covered in muscle, fur and long horns.  
  
The creature roared, and it's roar echoed across the land. The creature raised its fist, and slammed it down to the ground, and searing, roaring flame slammed through the forest.  
  
********************  
  
Beatrix snapped back to reality.  
  
"You alright?" Steiner asked.  
  
"Sorry. I was just thinking about Sloane."  
  
"Me to."  
  
Of course, the king had not died there, something that Beatrix had thanked God for. She had been knighted by the king two weeks later. He had been knighted in the classic fashion, by her king in front of her peers, Steiner had been knighted on the field, kneeling in his commanders own blood.  
  
Beatrix drained the wine, and stood up.  
  
"Hey, Steiner?"  
  
"Yeah?"  
  
"You feel up to some sparring?" She asked.  
  
"Why not." Steiner got up, and the two of them returned to the room he had been training in.  
  
********************  
  
TO BE CONTINUED. 


	3. Chapter three: Strength in a painting

KNIGHTS: Those left behind.  
  
By: Matt Taylor  
  
Disclaimer: All Final Fantasy characters belong to Squaresoft, I make no money off their use.  
  
Notes: This takes place after Zidane and co. leave for the outer continent, leaving Beatrix, Steiner and Freya to battle the queen's forces.  
  
********************  
  
Man! Did this look painful.  
  
It was times like this when Freya was (almost) glad that she was single.  
  
She was currently standing against a far wall in the bed area of the chambers where the Burmecian refugees where kept. Her friend, Wei was currently spread out on her bed, screaming loud enough to cause ear trauma. A Burmecian doctor was positioned at the end of her bed, as a woman stood near the head. Across from her, Wei's husband Kal held her had, and spoke encouraging words to her.  
  
"You're doing good Wei, just keep breathing. 1…2…3. 1…2…3."  
  
Wei continued to breath, but the pain was great. She managed to speak through clenched teeth.  
  
"How…much longer?"  
  
"It will still be a few hours, Wei." The doctor said.  
  
"Hours!?"  
  
"This does take a while, Wei." The nurse at her side said.  
  
"Hours?!"  
  
Freya smiled and shook her head. She wondered if she would ever have any children. She had always thought that someday She and Sir Fratley…  
  
Blast it! She had promised she wouldn't think about that. Freya gritted her teeth and tried to force his image out of her mind. Ever since she had found Sir Fratley at Cleyra, when he and his spear saved the people from the Black Mages, the curved blade swishing through the air, in that same oddly beautiful way that she remembered, his image had brought strange emotions to her.  
  
She had found him alright, the goal she had sought for the last three years, but found he had not remembered her, his mind wiped clean of every memory it held since before whatever accident befell him that caused this. She had fallen to the ground, and sobbed, truly cried for the first time in three years. She couldn't blame him really, the irony was so thick that it was almost funny.  
  
She had thought of nothing but him for the last three years, but he had forgotten her, there was one for the jokebooks!  
  
Freya shook her head, and cleared it off such thoughts. As she said, she couldn't really blame him, she blamed whatever, or whoever caused this. For a few moments after he had left the shrine, she had entertained thoughts that perhaps it could be cured, his memories returned, but then, Brahne had attacked. A giant tree, which had taken billions of years to grow to that size, had been destroyed in mere seconds.  
  
She had not seen Sir Fratley since, and her mind was plagued with memories, memories of those refugees Zidane had tried so hard to save, incinerated in the blink of an eye. Years of beautiful art, and building destroyed. King Puck, a legendary hero, and the high priest of Cleyra both dead. And there was the one image which was worse then all of them. She had not seen it, but a little voice in her mind kept whispering it, saying that there was no way he could have gotten out of Cleyra alive.  
  
But there was still hope, hope in her heart. That somehow he had made it out.  
  
"AAAAGGHHH!" Wei's yelling snapped Freya out of her musing.  
  
"Just keep breathing honey." Kal said. Freya smiled slightly, at the strange comedy of the scene. Kal was almost crying himself, as Wei tried frantically to give birth.  
  
"Okay, miss, begin to push." The doctor said. Wei began to push, her cheeks puffing out, and turning red.  
  
"Come on honey, you're almost there."  
  
Push…push…push." The doctor kept repeating this for several minutes, and Freya watched with rapt attention. Wei continued to howl, and Freya heard a weak crying sound over the yelling. She watched in wonder as the doctor placed a small curled up body on a pillow, situated on a rolling table next to him.  
  
"That's one, keep going." He said. Wei's howling increased again, and once again she started pushing. Fifteen minutes passed, and another small bundle came out. Over the next hour, the Doctor removed no less than five small children from Wei. Kal was openly crying, a grin decorating his face. Wei was crying beneath her howling as well, Freya could hear sobs as well.  
  
The Nurse wheeled the table, with the now freshly cleaned and dressed babies, and handed them over, one by one to the loving arms of their mother. Wei sobbed openly as she saw her five children. They had gone through so much, the horrible and frightening war, the long and scary journey through enemy lines, and the mist to get to Lindblum, smuggled inside by the Regent's soldiers, under the nose of people who would kill them if they knew they where here. All those long scary weeks….they had all been worth it.  
  
Wei held her children close to her, and cried, happy, truly happy for the first time in a long while. For a while at least, even with her country destroyed, and her people scattered….  
  
There was hope for the future.  
  
********************  
  
An hour had passed, but Freya still felt a lightness over herself. Now she walked through the halls of these chambers, deciding to leave the small party that had been thrown by some of the refugees for Wei. She had had a snack and some wine, then left. Now She found herself in the western quarter of the area, walking towards her bedroom, itself situated next to the ones currently used by Beatrix and Steiner.  
  
Beatrix, there was something to wonder about. How would her people react to knowing that Beatrix, the woman they where called the Butcher of Burmecia, was living in an area not that far from their own? The Regent had already forbidden Beatrix from making herself known to the Burmecians, and Freya had already decided it would be a bad idea to tell anyone, especially with all of this revenge talk going around her people.  
  
Beatrix was a knight, as was Freya, and Freya understood what that title entailed. The title came with it a loss of a certain amount of freedom, but it was a sacrifice that she, and other knights made gladly, a decision someone like Zidane would never be able to understand. For along with that loss, came honor, and nobility, and the responsibility to uphold those standards. Knights where expected to be loyal to their rulers, no matter what, and that was one problem she had with this situation.  
  
It was possible to take those standards too far. That was pathetically obvious lately. Despite her beliefs about the knighthood, she couldn't resist feeling anger at the sight of Alexandria's general. Yeah, she understood Beatrix position but that didn't mean she had to like her. Freya was pretty convinced that she would never like her, which was odd in some ways, as Freya had always been polite, and pleasant to people, even those she didn't know. It was one of the reasons she had made so many friends in Burmecia, it was one of the reasons so many of those friends understood her when she put aside her Dragoon title to search for Sir Fratley.  
  
If it was wrong to take the standards of knighthood too far, her mind said, was it not also wrong to abandon them completely?  
  
Freya grimaced at that thought. It was one that had showed up now and then ever since she left Burmecia. She had counteracted this by reminding herself that Sir Fratley had done the same, and he was still idolized by every newborn child in Burmecia. She had just recently starting telling herself that if she had stayed she would just be another one of those corpses lying in the rubble. Now she had a chance to help stop all this. This had helped her a bit.  
  
Freya waked into her quarters, and saw her Partisan leaning against a wall. It had stood there unused for over a week now. It was the longest she had gone without fighting in years. She shook her head, and went over to her dufflebag, it was worn leather, carried with her over what felt like hundreds of miles. Inside where the few personal items she could not bring herself to part with when she left. She withdrew a roll of paper and laid it in her nightstand, along with a thick but small leather-bound book, a second book, a coral dagger that her father had carried once, and a few other trinkets.  
  
Freya picked up the slightly larger of the two books. The pages where wisp thin, but strong, and the title on the front read "The Complete works of Lord Avon." Freya herself felt a little strange about admitting that she was a fan of his work, most of the people who where fans of his plays (that she had seen at least) were flighty, giggly girls, something that Freya found annoying.  
  
She reminded herself that she preferred his less popular works, she was particularly fond of his "Sword of the Sun," and "Rose Canyon." Freya smiled slightly to herself, and put it back on her stand. The other was a history of Burmecia. She took the role of paper, and unrolled a painting of herself, and Sir Fratley. It had been done the first year that they where together. She had put a special liquid over it to keep the paint from chipping, but it still looked old.  
  
"Humph! Perhaps it's symbolic." She said to herself. The outer fragments where worn and ripped, but the inner parts where still strong, even if the paint looked less bright than it had in years past. Freya laughed at herself slightly, and rolled it back up, placing it in her bag again. Freya lay down on her bed. It may have sounded silly, but it had cheered her up a bit. If the painting could remain strong then so could she, for her country and for herself.  
  
********************  
  
The only sound in the large room was the swish and clang of steel.  
  
Beatrix Dubois held aloft a steel training blade, its edges dulled for practice use. She caught a downward slash from her comrade, and managed to shove him away. Adelbert Steiner caught himself, and hefted up his own practice sword. They had been doing this non-stop for the past 45 minutes. Strangely enough, neither felt overly tired. Beatrix looked over her opponent thoughtfully.  
  
Steiner was a lot stronger than he had been, even from just a few weeks ago. Even though this was just practice, no one had lasted this long against her in over five years. Beatrix put those thoughts aside, and swung a one-handed blow, which he caught. Steiner forced the sword away from him, and swung an underhanded blow. Beatrix leapt backwards, and the sword only hit air.  
  
Beatrix ran up again, and the blades met in the air, the clang sounded throughout the room. Both stared into the others face for a moment, She could see Steiner was sweating some, but by this point, she had no doubt that she was as well. They separated quickly, both going out of the others range.  
  
Beatrix twirled her sword briefly in the air, and ran at him again. Steiner met her sword with all his strength. Beatrix was sent slamming back, but gritted her teeth, and ran again, her sword catching him by surprise, Beatrix sent a flurry of stab shots at him, which he was only just able to block. She sent up an overhanded slash, but Steiner caught it, and shoved her back hard. Beatrix hit the wall, and felt herself smiling.  
  
"Very good, Steiner. I'm still faster than you, and you're still physically stronger than me."  
  
"I noticed…." She couldn't help but notice the odd silence coming from him following that statement.  
  
"Steiner?"  
  
"Yes?"  
  
"Something wrong?"  
  
"What? Oh no, just thinking."  
  
Beatrix shrugged her shoulders, and returned to the fight. She and Steiner continued this mock battle for another fifteen minutes before Beatrix lowered her sword.  
  
"I think that's enough for today, Steiner." She said, as Steiner placed his own sword against the wall.  
  
"Aye, it's getting late." Steiner said, giving Beatrix a strange look when her back was turned. Yes…there was most definitely something wrong with her.  
  
********************  
  
Steiner chewed at a piece of chicken, thoughtfully. The aide that had brought supper down to his and Beatrix quarters had left already, leaving the two former soldiers of Alexandria to eat in peace. Steiner had said little during the meal, odd for him, and even odder, his usual appetite had seemed to have fled. Steiner wasn't sure what was troubling him so. It had started during the sparring match with his current dinner companion.  
  
To the untrained eye, one would not see any difference in her current behavior. But Steiner had known this woman for fifteen years, and despite their somewhat elongated rivalry, he felt that he knew her pretty well. It is said that during a battle, if you know how, you can read a persons emotions perfectly, even if they where one of those fools who believed that being stone cold emotionless made you the perfect warrior.  
  
Something was troubling her, he was positive now.  
  
Beatrix was picking at her own dinner with disinterest.  
  
"Hey Steiner?"  
  
"Yes?"  
  
"What are you gonna do? I mean, if Queen Brahne wins this whole thing?" Beatrix asked.  
  
"In all honesty, that thought had not occurred to me. I believe she will be defeated." Steiner said, it felt odd, really, saying that he thought the queen would lose, he supposed he'd have to get used to it. "I would not want to live my life as a wanted man though."  
  
"Yes. Perhaps we should just take our swords and our wits, and hit the road as mercenaries?" Beatrix said with a smile, managing to lighten the atmosphere, slightly.  
  
"Hmph. Would you really want to do something like that?" He asked.  
  
"I don't know. Think about it, with skills like ours we'd be rich before the first week was over." She said, grinning.  
  
Steiner chuckled a bit. "Maybe, but I could never live such a life as that. I enjoy knowing that I fight for more than just another pouch of Gil."  
  
"I know, me to. My sword has taken many a life in the past, Steiner," Beatrix said, her voice suddenly sad. "But it has also saved many a life."  
  
Steiner nodded agreement.  
  
"But I can't help myself but wonder what will become of us." Beatrix turned her gaze to the ceiling, where her look grew wistful. Steiner himself was lost in his own thoughts, wondering the same thing she was.  
  
Far above in the night sky, the moon rose.  
  
TO BE CONTINUED.  
  
******************** 


	4. Chapter four: Just another Legendary Sto...

KNIGHTS: Those left Behind  
  
By: Matt Taylor  
  
Disclaimer: I own none of these characters, so please don't sue.  
  
********************  
  
There where certain advantages to anonymity.  
  
Or at least that was what Adelbert Steiner thought as he gazed upon the huge chambers, storing the Burmecian refugees. If it was Beatrix leaning against the doorframe, there would have been a riot, and judging from the Burmecian's current feelings about her, not one with positive intention. Not that any of this was a problem for the markedly less well known captain of the Knights of Pluto.  
  
Steiner's less familiar face, and armor, a gift from his father, different from the normal Alexandrian uniforms, was helpful in this circumstance. They had no doubt mistaken him for another Lindblum soldier. One of the several that guarded this area, Something which Steiner found himself helping them do. Passions where running high in these homeless refugees, and a few fights had broken out, which had been stopped quickly, some with his help.  
  
This, at least was something to do beside, sit around or practice, that was practically all he had done since waking up in his bed here in these chambers, practice or sit around. Sitting around and doing nothing was not something Steiner liked to do. He was not averse to sitting down, mind you, but he preferred to do so while planning, either a training session or a battle, or to read a book, anything!  
  
Right now, sitting around would start him worrying about his men again. After Zorn and Thorn had reported his "betrayal" during the Princess original attempt at running away, The Knights of Pluto had been arrested for having a possible "bad influence" over the other soldiers.  
  
Steiner scoffed at the mere idea of "his" men having any kind of influence over other soldiers, bad or other wise. Steiner had accepted the fact that he did not garner much respect from the soldiers of Alexandria, nor did his men, but they where his men! The thought of them being locked up because of him made him furious.  
  
Steiner calmed himself down, and reminded himself that there was nothing he could do for them now. He would help them though, that much he promised.  
  
He took a deep breath and regained control of himself. It was only recently that he started to figure out how ridiculous he looked when he lost control of his temper. The clanking of his armor only added to that effect. Steiner humphed at that thought. He was aware of the sound his armor made, but ignored it. His grandfather had worn this armor, his father had worn it, and given it to him when he was accepted into the Knights of Pluto, and he wore it with pride.  
  
His father and grandfather had been knights as well, serving as Knights of Pluto in two different wars. They hadn't been the most skilled, or the strongest men on the field, but they had never backed down, and always gave everything they had to give. Perhaps that was all he really had to do as well?  
  
Of course, these weren't the only problems he had faced recently. There was this sudden lurch in his relationship with his "rival" Beatrix. For years the two of them had competed, for better assignments, for respect, for anything two knights could compete for. But now everything was different. Ever since the stairwell, where they had fought together against the queen's forces, and he had saved her life, that relationship had changed.  
  
Now he found himself sparring with her, and they had eaten dinner together for the last two knights, these where not things rivals usually did. Both of them had gone through an emotional windfall recently, as the person they had devoted their lives to, had changed, and pushed their loyalties to the limit. Now they where both outlaws, wanted for defying Queen Brahne, and trying to save Princess Garnet. Perhaps it was because they where all that the other had left of that old life?  
  
That was another good question. What would they do if Queen Brahne won this war, and captured the Princess and Zidane? Beatrix had half jokingly suggested that they both hit the road as mercenaries, but he couldn't do that. He had to fight for a reason other than money. Could he actually hang up his sword, and live in the anonymity of the public?  
  
No, Steiner had spent his entire life training to be a knight. He could not just walk away from it. Blast it all. He hated it when there where this many questions to ask, especially about himself.  
  
Steiner sighed slightly, and tried to turn his thoughts back to watching the refugees.  
  
********************  
  
"I haven't shown this to anyone in years."  
  
Beatrix looked down at the large leather bound tome which lay before her. Across the table from her, Regent Cid looked down at the book, and gazed at it with fond reverence. Written on the front cover, in gold ink was "ANOTHER LEGENDARY STORY."  
  
"I wrote down everything, everything we went through together in there."  
  
"How long where you all…"  
  
"Five years. Me, Stephan, Puck, Baku, Millicent, and that dwarf….Uh?"  
  
"Scotland." Beatrix said, helpfully.  
  
"Why yes! How'd you know that?"  
  
"We met once." Beatrix opened up the large book, and saw a table of contents. There where what looked like over a hundred different chapters, each with some fanciful name. "Memory Mountain" "The Elven Woods" "The Fire Phoenix Temple" and many others.  
  
"Is this all real?" She found herself asking.  
  
"Every bit. I didn't change a thing." Beatrix smiled slightly.  
  
"King Til once told me you wrote all this down, he said you probably changed it to make yourself the hero." The Regent looked slightly miffed, but he was smiling.  
  
Beatrix turned the page and it opened on a painting of six people. One of them was a nattily dressed man with a goatee, a lute slung over his back, and a long black and silver rapier. Standing next to him was a huge, and muscular pig-human, dressed in a shirt, vest, and pants, and armed with a huge curved scimitar, Next to him was a young, black haired Burmecian, kneeling on the ground, and dressed in leather, and metal plate armor, and wielding a long, golden spear. On the other side was a figure she recognized as Scotland Sheepherder, armed with a dwarven axe. Next to him was a tall, beautiful woman, wearing a Minerva plate, covered in a tabard with the symbol of the phoenix faith on it. She had light green leggings, and leather boots, she had blonde hair that fell down her shoulders in a wave, and carried a spiked priests mace.  
  
"Ah, you saw the painting. I had it made when we returned to Lindblum, the last time we were all together." He said, wistfully. Beatrix nodded, as her gaze fell on the man in the middle of the painting. She recognized him immediately. He was a tall, handsome young man with jet black hair, he was dressed in boiled leather armor, that was decorated with white fur on the shoulders. He wore trousers, and very worn leather traveling boots, in front of him was a two handed long sword with runes running up and down the long, crimson blade.  
  
"Is that..?" She pointed to the man.  
  
"That is King Til." He said, answering her (mostly) unspoken question. "It all began at the tourney in Burmecia to celebrate Pucks eighteenth birthday. He announced that now that he was a grown man, that he was going to search for a legendary weapon that his people had lost in ancient times called "the Divider of Heaven." Cid chuckled slightly, "Of course, I had the brilliant idea that we should all help him. You should have heard the stink Baku raised about that one!"  
  
Beatrix had only slightly heard the last few words, as her gaze remained on the picture. She recognized everyone there now, she had see Baku when she first woke up, and encountered Puck briefly in the past for diplomatic meetings, Cid and King Til where no problem, but the woman.  
  
"Who is this?" She asked. The Regent looked forward, and saw where she was pointing.  
  
"Ah! That was Millicent Sorress…"  
  
"That was General Sorress?" Beatrix interrupted him.  
  
"Why yes, she enlisted shortly after we returned." Beatrix looked genuinely surprised at this. The General Sorress she had met was bristling and serious, nothing like the bright smiling woman in this picture. "She was quite the woman, beautiful, strong, and a wondrous healer. Her and Stephan where in love for awhile."  
  
At this revelation Beatrix jaw literally dropped.  
  
"What?"  
  
"Yes." Cid said, his tone suddenly growing somber.  
  
"But, he married the Queen?" She said, now confused. Cid's gaze now matched his voice.  
  
"It wasn't going to last, they knew it wasn't going to last. Stephan marriage to Queen Brahne was arranged before either of them where born, and he knew he had a responsibility to Alexandria. But they enjoyed each other for the few years they could. She used to be his bodyguard, since Phoenix clerics are often trained to guard important royalty and nobles." Cid sighed.  
  
"He married Brahne, and they grew to love each other deeply, and eventually he and Millicent settled into "just friends."  
  
"I'm not sure I can take so many revelations at once." She said, jokingly. Cid chuckled.  
  
"Well, you did ask me if you could see the book." Beatrix chuckled herself. "Don't think any less of him just because he had a relationship prior to the queen." Cid said.  
  
"Oh, of course not." Beatrix said quickly. She turned the page again, and saw the beginning of chapter one "Written on the Wind." The words were written in an elegant flowing style, on Turleia paper, a special paper that was very thin but incredibly strong. She flipped through the opening pages, and saw several illustrations of the group, weapons, maps of places they had visited.  
  
"Take a look at the last hundred pages." Cid suggested. Beatrix turned to them, and saw they where filled with songs.  
  
"I wrote quite a few of those little ditties, some of them where elven songs that I translated. I knew that few would probably know of our journey, so I took it upon myself to write of our story." Cid said proudly.  
  
"I didn't know you could write music, my lord."  
  
"Cid the XIII saw to it that I was well versed in many different talents. By the time I was ten I could shoot a bow and arrow as well as any man, I played a special ten string lute which I had designed myself, I wrote these on that, I fought with a rapier, and spoke in three different languages." Cid said, with no lack of pride.  
  
"Yeah, but those weren't your favorite things, where they?" Cid turned to the door in shock, and saw a large pig human standing in the doorway. Cid let out a sigh of relief.  
  
"Baku. To what do we owe the pleasure?" The regent asked.  
  
"I came to see how you kids was doin' and found you guys here. General." Baku said offhandedly, in Beatrix direction, she nodded a response. Baku sat down at the table.  
  
"Damn! I ain't seen that thing in years."  
  
"You still have your copy?" Cid asked.  
  
"Yeah, I got it locked in a chest in the back of our hideout. I haven't looked at the thing in years though. My boys don't even know I did all this stuff."  
  
"Typical, you didn't even want to go." Cid said, his Oglop face somehow showing polite sarcasm.  
  
"I had other stuff to do." He said defensively.  
  
"Like try to rip of some noble, and get thrown in prison?"  
  
"Bah! They never would have caught me."  
  
Beatrix ignored the arguing, her mind already moving backwards through time. Seeing the picture of King Til had brought it all back.  
  
********************  
  
THE PAST.  
  
Why wouldn't she stop shaking?  
  
Wasn't this the moment she had longed for ever since enlisting?  
  
At the moment, Beatrix stood before a porcelain tub, dressed in a terry cloth robe. The tub was filled with hot water, the steam rising from the water. Standing around her in the darkness were robed figures, male or female she couldn't tell. Beatrix took several deep breaths, and removed the robe. She stepped into the tub, flinched from the heat, but eventually settled down. One by one, the robed figures walked forward, each of them had a bowl.  
  
One of them filled it with water from the tub, and dumped it over her head, and spoke.  
  
"From the water comes all life." With this the figure stepped back, and another stepped forward. Inside the bowl was water colored red. He dumped this over her head.  
  
"Red, the color of blood and passion, let the red water wash away all doubt." With this, the figure stepped back. Another stepped forward, this ones bowl was filled with water the color of deep blue.  
  
"Blue the color of the sea and sky. Let the Blue water wash away cowardice" With this, the blue water was dumped over her, and he stepped back, as another came forward.  
  
"Yellow, the color of the Earth and Sun. Let the yellow water wash away all weakness." With this, the yellow water was poured over her. Another figure approached.  
  
"Green, the color of the grass and leaves of the trees. May the green water wash away greed and avarice."  
  
Finally the last robed figure came forward, bearing a bowl of white, clear, water.  
  
"White, the color of purity. May the white water wash away all sin." With this, the figure poured and stepped back to join the others. One other priest stepped in front of her.  
  
"Arise."  
  
She did so, and the priests stepped forward, and dressed her in the same terrycloth robe she had taken off. The priest in front of her motioned towards the door, and she nodded. Beatrix left the room, and found her way to her quarters, where she quickly dried, and dressed in a green tunic, decorated with Alexandria's rose, green hose, and slippers, and a rose red cape. It was time. Beatrix composed her self, and walked towards the main audience hall. A pair of guards let her through, and she saw General Sorress standing by the door, her hand on the hilt of Save the Queen.  
  
"Come forward." Beatrix barely had time to look around, and see the entire court standing off to either side, forming a pathway up to the throne. The General led her up to the throne, and she had time to see many of her fellow soldiers and friends stood among the nobles of the court and council. At the end of the walk, King Til sat on his throne, dressed in all his kingly finery, and a golden crown, decorated with diamonds and rubies, Blood-bane lain across his knees. As expected the queen was nowhere in sight. She had not left her daughter's side since the rescue from Sloane. Beatrix stopped and bowed.  
  
"Who is this who comes before me?" He asked.  
  
"One who would be a knight, your highness, Beatrix Dubois." The General said.  
  
"Who speaks for her, that this is true?" The King asked, his voice ringing through the hall.  
  
"I do, you highness. General Millicent Sorress." The General spoke, her voice matching the kings in volume.  
  
"She had been prepared and shriven?"  
  
"She has my lord." King Til got up and walked towards his former squire, Blood-bane in hand.  
  
"Beatrix Dubois, you have rendered great service to me, and I have decided to reward you by granting you the title of knight. By accepting this title, you have given your life to the defending of Alexandria and its people. Do you understand this?" He asked, solemnly.  
  
"Yes, My King." Beatrix said softly, her own voice not coming close to reaching the King's own.  
  
"Then…" With this he placed Blood-bane's blade on her right shoulder, her left, and then her right again. "I name you Lady Beatrix Dubois, knight of Alexandria."  
  
He re-sheathed the sword.  
  
"Now arise, Lady Beatrix." She did so, and he smiled at her.  
  
And the hall was lost in a cacophony of cheering.  
  
********************  
  
Beatrix snapped back to awareness.  
  
"Are you alright, General?" Cid asked.  
  
"Oh, yes, I'm sorry. I was just thinking of something." Beatrix had been so happy that day. She had been a soldier and squire for years, and she was finally a knight. She had wanted to be a knight ever since she had first saw the statue of General Madelene in Alexandria's southern square. When she was a child she had seen herself going on great quests, and fighting powerful monsters. Beatrix humphed.  
  
Well, she was definitely not living out those fantasies, was she? She had dreamed of becoming a legendary hero, but instead she was just a…  
  
Murderer.  
  
Beatrix felt her hands clench into fists, and her one eye flung open.  
  
Murderer.  
  
Beatrix clenched her teeth, and forced the voice out of her mind.  
  
"General? Beatrix, are you alright?" She heard Cid's voice say. She looked over at him and Baku.  
  
"Yes, sir, I'm sorry…but I think I'm still a little tired from all that's happened lately." She said lamely.  
  
"Understandable." The Regent said, but his eyes inspected her. "perhaps, you should go rest. Take the book, you can read it later."  
  
"Thank you sir." Beatrix closed the large tome, and walked away with it, but she could feel the Regent's eyes on her as she left.  
  
TO BE CONTINUED.  
  
******************* 


	5. Chapter Five: Remembering the Rain

KNIGHTS: Those Left Behind  
  
Matt Taylor  
  
Disclaimer: All of these characters belong to Squaresoft, I receive no payment for this.  
  
*******************  
  
A lot of people didn't understand the rain.  
  
The rain brought life to the ground, and trees and plants. There was nothing more refreshing to the body and soul than a splash of clear, clean water.  
  
Normal people didn't understand this,  
  
But the people of Burmecia did.  
  
Freya Crescent stood atop the castle of Lindblum, her strong feet perched on the rather thin guard railing. Freya swept her gaze over the vast city, the rain slapped against the brim of her hat, but she barely felt them.  
  
Freya sighed deeply, and stepped down from her perch. Her sensitive eyes could pick out each drop in the darkness of the night. She could see a small bit of moonlight peaking through the heavy clouds above her, and it caused several of the drops to shine like crystals, as they passed through.  
  
It was a very familiar rainfall. Most people thought all rainfalls were essentially the same, but a Burmecian, who had spent their entire life in the rain could tell.  
  
Freya found herself walking towards the large telescope, and leapt slightly, landing on the very end of the scope, only barely causing it to sway.  
  
Freya both loved the feeling of the rain, and felt sadness at the memories it brought about.  
  
As she had said, a Burmecian can tell the difference between one rainfall, and another, this one was just like one she had felt before.  
  
********************  
  
THE PAST.  
  
"In Lindblum a maiden waited  
  
Waited for her love to return  
  
Hey-ho-do marry-do  
  
Waited for the day to return to thee  
  
Hey-ho-dee-oh!  
  
Across the land her lover  
  
With a sword in his hand  
  
Hey-ho-do marry-oh  
  
Waited for the day to return to thee  
  
Hey-ho-dee-oh"  
  
Freya smiled gently, as she lay her head on her lovers lap, listening to the gently harmony of the silver harp in his hands, mixed with the tap-tap- tap of the rain on the canopy over their heads.  
  
She closed her eyes as Fratley's deft, and talented hands ran across the strings, listening until the ending chords of "the Maid of Lindblum" came.  
  
"That was beautiful, Fratley."  
  
Not as beautiful as you my love." He said, grinning. Freya rolled her eyes at her boyfriend's melodramatic/teasing tone.  
  
"But enough music for now, I am sure the food is feeling ignored." Fratley said, motioning to the picnic basket. Freya moved over and opened the large box. Inside was a bucket of ice and a bottle of chilled Alexandrian wine and two glasses, along with a bowl of fruit, a small basket of cheese and bread as well. Freya took out the food, and placed it between them. Fratley played another few melodies on his silver harp, before setting it aside, and pouring a glass of the wine. Freya bit into a small hunk of cheese, and smiled at the taste.  
  
"I love just sitting out here, listening to the tap of the rain." Freya said fondly. Fratley smiled at her before cutting himself some bread.  
  
"I love sitting out here with you." He said.  
  
"Fratley…" Freya said, exasperated.  
  
"I merely speak the truth, my love." Fratley said with that same charming smile. Freya chuckled, and went about finishing her own meal.  
  
********************  
  
The food was all gone, and the wine bottle was empty. Freya lay down on the floor of the makeshift tent, her head laying in her boyfriends lap, as he continue to absentmindedly strum on his harp.  
  
"The Hunter king sat on a throne  
  
made of Birchwood and pine.  
  
Tall and strong was he  
  
A gaze like stone had he"  
  
"Across his knees was a sword  
  
silver and sharp,  
  
bringing justice to all his lands."  
  
"His son stood before the throne  
  
his own blade sheathed at his side.  
  
"You are both king and sire my lord"  
  
He said, "So I come when you call with great haste,  
  
Why my sire have you summoned me forth, from mine own  
  
Home in the East?"  
  
"The Hunter king spoke, his voice slow with authority and age  
  
"Alas you are my son and my servant, but also  
  
my heir, for the day soon comes when I will pass  
  
from this land, and you shall sit my place."  
  
Freya frowned as Fratley's voice trailed off.  
  
"What's the matter?" She asked.  
  
"I'm still working on it, that's only the first stanza."  
  
"Is it new?" She had heard more than a few of Fratley's originals, some of whom where played as far away as Alexandria.  
  
"Yes, I'm still stuck on a name. Either "The Crown of Cid" or "the Platinum Star." Fratley said, thoughtfully. "Hopefully I'll have time to work on it during my quest."  
  
With that Freya felt her previous happiness dissipate, Fratley saw the look on her face, and lay down next to her.  
  
"You know this is necessary, Freya." He whispered into her ear. She nodded once. "My own spear and arms aren't strong enough to protect Burmecia. There are many powerful warriors over the Mist continent, some greater than me."  
  
"I know…but still…" Freya's voice trailed off, as Fratley turned her around and embraced her.  
  
"I am the blood of Elaris, the Sacred Dragoon. I have a responsibility to protect Burmecia, as all of my family before me have." He said, his voice surprisingly sad.  
  
"I know about the duties, placed on you." Freya said "You are not a normal soldier, and have duties that go beyond…me." Fratley noticed the pause.  
  
"You are special as well, Freya." He said, running a hand through her hair. All Burmecian Women were born with blonde hair, which they kept tied behind them in a tail, the tail was the women's symbol of adulthood. But Freya, she had been born with hair of silver, so much like it that it shined when the light hit it. Maybe one in every five million Burmecian had been born with such hair.  
  
It was a mark  
  
A symbol  
  
A symbol that she, of all the young children that were born in that year, was destined for great things.  
  
"Freya, you know that if it was my choice, I would never leave your side." He said, looking into her eyes. "I want nothing more than that."  
  
"I want that to." She said, tears clouding her voice. The two of them lay in each other's arms, oblivious to everything except the feel of the other's arms. Fratley finally pulled away, and stared into her eyes, and kissed her.  
  
Outside, there was only the tap-tap-tap of the rain.  
  
******************  
  
Freya's gaze settled on the stars, as the rainclouds finally broke, revealing the dark night sky. She suddenly felt moisture on her face, probably from the rain. She reached up and found that most of it was gathered around her eyes. She wiped the tears away and flung them at the ground hard.  
  
"Stupid childish tears." She said.  
  
Her thoughts centered again on the song that Fratley had been writing that day, and wondered if she would ever hear it in it's entirety, if he had chosen a name for it. Fratley's love of his harp and music had surpassed his passion for his spear. He had been singing since he was old enough to read music and the ancient scrolls which contained old and famous songs of their people's past. He had gone on his first quest when he was eight, traveling to Lindblum and Alexandria and learning the music of those countries.  
  
In that time, Fratley had become a troubadour of no uncertain fame and skill, singing for kings and queens and dukes. He had also returned a formidable warrior, his skill with his curved bladed spear almost as well known as his music. He had taken part in a tourney of singers during the tournament King Til held to celebrate the Princess tenth birthday, and had walked away with first prize, winning the spear throwing contest as well.  
  
Freya had been in awe of him. She had always wondered what Fratley's own first impression of her had been, but she had never asked and he had never told her.  
  
Freya yawned and noticed just how late it was.  
  
"Fratley, I wonder where you are right now?" She asked, as she turned around and headed for the door. Below her, standing on a small windowsill, a tall figure listened to her go.  
  
*******************  
  
Beatrix Dubois lay upon her bed, staring mournfully at the ceiling. Everyone else in the castle was asleep by now, but she hadn't slept a bit, not since fleeing from the library, where Regetn Cid had been showing her a large book, containing the adventures of her own King Til in his youth. She had been reading it, when it started.  
  
"Murderer." The voice echoed in her head, it had been doing it off and on ever since she left. She had tried to sleep, but every time she closed her eyes she would see them. Burmecian children, men and women, warriors, and knights, all of them charging at her and her forces, a large contingent of Black mages. The queen hadn't even bothered sending in the normal troops. All of them screamed in terror, and tried to get away. She saw herself swinging her sword and cutting through them all, without mercy or care. The soldiers and knights attempted to fight back, but the Black Mages merely burned them to pieces where they stood.  
  
In less than an hour the city lay in ruins, the cities defenders lay dead in piles, those that had refused to flee. But along with them was a large contingent of woman and children. Burmecian women weren't like Alexandrians, they weren't trained to be warriors, they were trained to be homemakers, and wives. But she and the mages had killed them anyway.  
  
"Spare no one, any rat that you see, kill immediately." She heard the queens orders again in her mind, and in her absentminded devotion, she had followed her orders to the letter. She hadn't bothered to look at the women ands children who had been killed, but now she could see all their faces clearly, yelling at her, and screaming to her "Why?"  
  
"Murderer."  
  
"Stop it!!" Beatrix shot up in her bed, her hands over her ears. "Stop it, stop it, stop it!!!"  
  
But it didn't. Even now the voice continued, and she felt a tingle over her eyes. The tingle grew in intensity, until her had shot up under her eye patch, pressing into the scarred socket that once held her eye. She fell back to the bed, wincing in pain. The pain was familiar, but she hadn't felt it in years, not since the priests took her eye in exchange for her powers. The powers of Odin's holy knight, the Valkryie.  
  
******************  
  
THE PAST  
  
Beatrix sat on the floor, inside a large circle, painted on the ground. Around her, candles wringed the walls, the only illumination in the room. She had been sitting here for hours, but something told her to be patient. The quiet was finally broken, as the door on the far wall opened, and a small group of men stepped inside the room. Nine total, eight of them wore green robes, that covered their entire bodies, and hid their faces. The head though was different.  
  
He was an old man, ancient by some standards, but he stood straight with the strength of a much younger man. Around his head was a ring of cold iron, decorated only by what looked like a pair of elks antlers coming out of the brow. He wore a white robe, that seemed to glow in the darkness.  
  
"You come before us, to claim the title of Valkryie?" He said, his voice a strange mixture of old and cracked, and young and sure.  
  
"I do, oh great one."  
  
"You seek to be granted the power of Odin's chosen warrior? You seek to be a defender of the innocent, and a bringer of justice?"  
  
"I do, oh great one."  
  
"Before any such gift can be granted to you, you must know the tale of our lord, and how he became attached to this planet." The high priest began to speak, and his voice took on a strange sound, and Beatrix could swear the room faded away, and she saw images float through the space that had taken it's place.  
  
"In ancient times, long before the dawn of mankind, there where creatures on this planet called Eidolons. They ruled the planet of Gaia for untold years, before the Gods took a hand in this planet's development. The supreme looked down at Gaia, and deemed that this planet shall be one of those that would be granted the gift of true life, the gift of human life."  
  
"One of the Supremes servants was a dark and evil creature, I dare not speak his true name, but for the time we shall call him by the name Necron. He looked upon the Supreme with envy, and greed for his power. Necron went to the planet called Gaia, and convinced the already haughty and arrogant Eidolons that the Gods sought to destroy them, and give their planet to the upstart human race. Ghidoran the Golden Lion, then king of all Eidolons was convinced that Necron spoke the truth, and he led his people to the heavens, where they fought the Gods in a horrible war."  
  
Beatrix could see it all on her minds eyes, the images, like still paintings caught in time played through her eyes.  
  
"For over five thousand years the battle waged, but in the end, the Eidolons did not stand a chance. By then, Ghidoran was killed and his essence was separated and spread through out the universe. The Supreme defeated his rogue servant, Necron, and separated him into many smaller parts, and sealed each away in different dimensions. To the Eidolons he looked down to in rage, and spoke.  
  
"You have sought to destroy the gift of life! For this unspeakable crime I shall bind you to the planet, and give to the people spells, so that they may call upon you in times if need. Yes, may you serve those who you sought to destroy, for now, until the end of time!"  
  
Beatrix was practically shaking, now.  
  
"To keep order, the Supreme sent three of his servants to join them. Bahamut the Dragon King, Phoenix the fire of life, and Odin, the warrior born. In time, three Eidolons came to the Supreme and begged forgiveness for their actions. Many millennia had passed since then, and he forgave them. These three then became his servants, taking the place of the elemental triad lost in the war, they were Shiva, the Ice Queen, Ifrit the fire lord, and Ramuh the Thunderer."  
  
"When humanity finally arose on the planet, the Supreme as glad, and his servant Odin One-eye came before him, and spoke.  
  
"My lord, Life has bloomed upon this planet, yet the taint of Necron still stands." He spoke, and the Supreme agreed, for he too had sensed this. "Evil has also awakened on this world, and their must be a warrior to fight it. Someone who embodies the greatest features of nobility and honor, a warrior to defend the innocent from the darkness."  
  
"The Supreme agreed, and ordered his servant to choose such a chosen warrior. Odin chose two humans, a male Paladin, and a female Valkyrie. These warriors lead armies of Holy knights across the face of Gaia for untold years, defending the precepts of truth and justice."  
  
Beatrix felt her arms shaking, these looked like images, but they felt like weights on her back, drawing her down to the floor, but her arms remained strong. It was a few moments before she realized that the high priest had stopped talking, and that the floor looked the normal again. Beatrix was panting heavily, but she finally looked up.  
  
The High priests eyes looked over her, like they where piercing through her soul.  
  
"You have sworn a vow already, to defend the innocent and uphold the laws of justice. This lays at the heart of the Valkyrie, but other sacrifices are necessary for you to take this position."  
  
"Other Sacrifices?"  
  
"Yes." The High priests gaze grew hard as steel. "Odin One-eye sacrificed an eye in return for infinite wisdom. In exchange for the power, can you do no less?"  
  
********************  
  
Beatrix had rolled up into a fetal position on top of her bed, clutching the closed eye-lid in pain. She had vowed that she wouldn't scream when they cut the eye out, but she couldn't follow that vow. The pain had been intense, and it had taken all her strength not to scream every second she was there, She remembered them taking the eye to an inner chamber, and burning it on an altar standing in front of a statue of Odin.  
  
As it burned, she had begun to feel strange, the pain began to vanish, and in it's place she felt strength, fire, and light ramming through her veins. She had fallen to her knees, the pain replaced by ecstasy. After what felt like forever, the rush stopped, and she actually felt lessened by it's absence. The high priests stepped forward, and spoke to her.  
  
"You have survived the transference, this alone proves that you are worthy of the station of Valkyrie. Rise Holy Knight."  
  
Beatrix did so, and she felt reborn just from that action alone. Another priest came forward, holding a silver plate, on it was a circle of silver. Beatrix took it off the plate, and saw it was a strange sort of eye-patch.  
  
"Take this, and go into the world." With this, the High priests and his acolytes turned and left her. She had retrieved her armor and sword, and left the temple. When she turned around for one last look at the place. She found that it had disappeared into thin air. Beatrix had stood gaping at the spot for several minutes, before collecting her wits, and making the long trip back to Alexandria.  
  
The pain had returned, it had returned with a vengeance.  
  
Even now it took all of her strength to resist the urge to scream.  
  
Beatrix rolled up tighter, and tried to find some semblance of sleep through the haze of pain.  
  
TO BE CONTINUED  
  
******************  
  
I did it! I have finally conquered the wicked writer's block! I promised that I would finish this story, and I still promise that. I have to admit that I am enjoying writing it. I've always liked the "Knight" characters (and Beatrix/Steiner and Freya/Fratley are my favorite couples).  
  
I especially liked writing the flashback scenes, as I wanted to add some characterization to these three characters, and also show a bit of the history and culture of Gaia in the process. I do hope you all enjoyed.  
  
I'll try hard to not let the beast of Writer's Block away in the future. 


	6. Chapter six: A Knight's shame, The Tourn...

KNIGHTS: Those left Behind  
  
By: Matt Taylor  
  
Disclaimer: All characters here are the property of Squaresoft, except for the few original ones. I make no money off of their use.  
  
******************  
  
To most people this would seem boring.  
  
But not to Adelbert Steiner.  
  
He was trained for this kind of duty from the time that he was 13 years old.  
  
Adelbert Steiner stood solemnly against the wall, his sword held out in front of him, the point sticking against the ground, and his hands covering the tip of the handle. In front of him where hundreds, maybe thousands, of Burmecians. He watched the children play and frolick with balls, and other toys. Some women were knitting up stockings, shirts, and trousers, others played games of chess, or talked animatedly of news from the outside of these chambers. Men sat in packs, talking heartedly, some laughing at a jest, or talking in quiet, low tones. Steiner heard a musician singing somewhere in the background.  
  
He passed his gaze over the entire group, and saw a man in a hooded robe, only the snout of his nose giving him away as a Burmecian, playing a silver harp. He was surrounded by the largest group of refugees there. Some children listened with awe-struck looks on their face, as the man sang in the oddly beautiful ancient tongue of Burmecia.  
  
And here he was, standing guard over them all.  
  
There had been few outbreaks of violence lately, thank God, and most of the Burmecians who had more loudly supported the idea of revenge against Alexandria had been quiet as well. For Steiner this wasn't a good quiet, but it felt more like some kind of boiling pot, just waiting to over flow. But for now, he was going to enjoy their silence.  
  
Few children, and none of the adults had spoken to him, and he was thankful. It saved him from having to explain that he was a knight of their hated enemies. Plus it gave him more time to think about his recent problems.  
  
He had been thinking about Beatrix a lot more lately. He had known something was troubling her for awhile now. For someone who had known her as long as he had, it was painfully obvious.  
  
It was also painfully obvious what was troubling her. She was a knight, and knights were sworn to uphold chivalry, and justice throughout their lands. But she had taken part in the near genocide of another race, at the command of a power mad queen. Yes, it was all too obvious what was wrong. In a strange way, Steiner was glad that he had been an unwitting accomplice to the Princess "kidnapping." He had been able to uphold his sense of honor and his duty to protect the Princess.  
  
The princess. She had gone with Zidane and Master Vivi to the Outer Continent, searching for some man named Kuja, who, according to the Regent, was supplying Queen Brahne with these black mage troops. There had been no word from them since they left the castle over a week ago. Of course, how they could send a message was up for question, so Steiner tried not to think about it too much.  
  
The fact that Steiner really wasn't that worried about her was causing him no shortage of consternation. Zidane was a thief, a bandit, a mendicant, everything that Steiner had despised for years. His disdain for thieves was nothing new. Ever since he had accompanied King Til and Alexandria's armies to the Outer Continent and fought Thomas Sloane and his outlaw brotherhood, he had despised them. Sloane's kidnapping of Princess Granet, and attacks on hundreds of traveling merchants, nobles, and commoners, had shown him just how low thieves could be.  
  
But Zidane...  
  
Steiner growled under his breath. Now he was forced to rethink his stance.  
  
"Excuse me, Sir Steiner?"  
  
He turned his head, and saw a Lindblum Knight approach him.  
  
"It's off time sir. The night guard shift is about to start."  
  
Was it that late already?  
  
"Of course. I am a little tired."  
  
The Knight bowed once, and walked off. Steiner did likewise, heading back towards his room, as another contingent of soldiers entered.  
  
*******************  
  
Adelbert stared thoughtfully at his plate, his dinner long finished. Okay, he now knew what was wrong with Beatrix, now how did he go about fixing it? Blast it all, problems where so much easier to fix when you could just hit it with a sword.  
  
Steiner turned around in slight surprise, as the door opened.  
  
"Adelbert?" Came a female voice.  
  
"Oh, good evening Beatrix." He said. Her voice was normal, but her eye looked very tired. "Please, sit down."  
  
She sat down across from him.  
  
"What brings you here so late? Your dinner has almost got cold." He motioned to her plate, where it lay, covered in foil in front of her.  
  
"I'm not hungry. You look like you have a lot on your mind."  
  
Was it that obvious?  
  
"Oh, I was just.thinking about the Princess, wondering if she and Master Vivi were alright."  
  
"And Zidane?" She asked sarcastically.  
  
"I suppose I can spare a little worry for him."  
  
"Well.You definitely have changed, Adelbert, if you can spare even a little bit of worry for a thief." She said, her smile erasing the tired marks from her eye for a moment. Steiner lowered his face in embarrassment, hoping she wouldn't see.  
  
"What are you thinking about? You look tired." He asked. She looked at him in slight surprise.  
  
"I've been thinking about the past, the most recent and otherwise." She said, her voice somewhat heavy.  
  
"It's about Burmecia isn't it?" He found himself blurting out. She looked up at him in surprise. He had not intended to breach the subject that way. But she only lowered her head again.  
  
"Is it that obvious? No, don't answer. Of course it is." Her voice was heavy with tears, and Steiner almost felt shock. In all the years he'd known this woman she had never cried once, not once.  
  
"Beatrix."  
  
"I killed them. It wasn't queen Brahne, it wasn't the Black Mages. I killed them. I heard them scream, some in terror, some in rage, but I felt nothing. Nothing!!" The tears clouded her voice even more now. "That was then, but now.now."  
  
Steiner tried to raise a helping hand as she got out of her chair, but she waved it away. She walked around the room for a moment, staring at nothing in particular. Finally she sat down in a corner.  
  
"I.I can hear there voice still. Calling me "murderer," They don't stop, but repeat it again, and again, until I can't hear anything else."  
  
Steiner got out of his chair, and found himself standing off to her side.  
  
"I can barely sleep because I have nightmares about it all. Plus.." She trailed off, her tears clouding her voice. Steiner sat down next to her, and put his arm around her shoulders. He was surprised at his boldness, and thought she would shrug him off, but instead she just leaned against him, thankful for his presence.  
  
"It's started to hurt again."  
  
"It?" He asked. Her hand moved up to her eye patch, cupping the metal band.  
  
"My.eye.It hasn't hurt like this since.."  
  
He found his arm tightening around her shoulder, still somewhat surprised at his own actions.  
  
"They took my eye, you know. The Priests. Odin's priests. It was some form of sacrifice. And it hurt. It hurt worse than any sword, or any injury. They burned it, on an altar to Odin, and in exchange, I became a Valkryie. I haven't felt anything from it in years, but now.."  
  
"It's alright. You.you don't have to talk about it if you don't want." He said.  
  
"I told him I'd be a hero, and make him proud." She said through her tears.  
  
"Who?"  
  
"My father. My mother left him to be some noble's lover, so he raised me alone. He was poor, and could barely support himself. So one day, I told him I was joining the army, that I would be a knight and make him proud. Five years later he was dead."  
  
"The Wasting plague?" He asked. She nodded. Steiner remembered that well. It had been a horrible sickness that had troubled Alexandria for years. It had killed countless people, and two years ago it had killed King Til. Finally, a cure had been found, but the death toll was horrible.  
  
"I wanted him to be proud, to show I was better than my mother, but now.all I've done is make him ashamed of me."  
  
"Don't say that!" Steiner said his voice gaining a surprising fire. "Beatrix, listen. I never met your father, but from what little you have told me of him, I am certain he would have understood."  
  
She had no answer to that. She just leaned against him, crying quietly.  
  
********************  
  
It felt so natural.  
  
All around him he could hear soft snoring.  
  
He saw hundreds of face like his own, men, women, and children. It was possible he had known some of them, yet he couldn't bring himself to recall those memories.  
  
The Burmecian man stood taller than most, and was dressed in a hooded robe. In his arms was a silver harp. He had sung to them all night, songs that felt so familiar to him, notes that he found he could summon to his fingers at will, without remembering where he had learned them. It was almost frightening.  
  
"Fratley?" Came a high, but quiet voice. The man turned, and saw a small Burmecian in loud clothes coming towards him.  
  
"Lord Puck." He said , his voice colored with respect.  
  
"Enjoy yourself?"  
  
"It was..very odd."  
  
"You starting to remember anything?" The small Burmecian asked.  
  
"I can sing these songs, and play this music, but I don't remember.." He trailed off. Puck nodded.  
  
"Good, at least we're getting somewhere."  
  
"She wasn't here today?" He said out of the blue.  
  
"Freya?"  
  
"Yes. I wasn't certain how I'd react to seeing her again, but I felt.disappointed that she didn't come."  
  
"Maybe you should go speak with her." Puck said.  
  
"But when I saw her in..Cleyra, she was so upset."  
  
"She was just shocked by everything, that's all. She'll love to see you again."  
  
"That man said she was my lover." Puck sighed. He had wanted to wait before telling Fratley about that, but Zidane had taken care of that little detail.  
  
"Before you left Burmecia, yes she was. You promised her you'd return someday."  
  
"What you just said.It feels familiar, but I still." Fratley said, his brow scrunched in concentration.  
  
"Don't try to rush it. It will all come back in time."  
  
"It still feels so distant." He said, putting his hand against his forehead.  
  
"Come on, I got some food in one of the back rooms. We might as well enjoy supper."  
  
"Yes Lord Puck."  
  
********************  
  
At least she had stopped crying.  
  
Beatrix had been quiet for the last several minutes, and Steiner still sat next to her his arm around her shoulder. It was late, but neither felt like sleeping.  
  
"Do you feel better now?" Steiner asked.  
  
"A little bit."  
  
"Try not to think of it for right now." Steiner said. "right now we should just stay alive, and hope for good news from the Princess." Beatrix muffled an affirmative.  
  
"Not everything about the past has been bad though." She suddenly spoke up, "Just the recent."  
  
"Really. Well, it's good to know you're thinking some happy thoughts now." He said.  
  
"Yeah, tell me about it. Funny, though. A few years ago, I hated it, but now, after all that's happened, I think it's kind of funny." She said, with a small smile.  
  
"And what is it?" Steiner asked, his curiosity aroused.  
  
"You remember the tourney at Old's Ford?" Steiner straightened suddenly, as he remembered just what had happened at that particular tourney. It had been held to celebrate Princess Garnet's 10th birthday. He, himself had been the champion of the joust that year.  
  
"That was the tourney where I." He said before stammering off.  
  
"Won the joust, by beating me in a duel." Beatrix finished, but there was no anger in her voice. "I had never lost a fight, not since I was knighted, until then."  
  
"You..aren't upset?"  
  
"Not anymore, but for a long time I was furious." She said, with a fond tone to her voice.  
  
Steiner stared off into space, remembering that day.  
  
********************  
  
THE PAST  
  
"Ah, a beautiful day." Adelbert Steiner stepped onto the field called Old's Ford. For miles across it were makeshift buildings, and stands. There was sounds of loud music in the air, and the delicious smells of cooking food. Hundreds, maybe thousands of people milled around the make-shift streets, laughing, and enjoying themselves. In the background of all this make-shift city was the great City of Alexandria, it's shining crystal sword flashing in the sunlight.  
  
The sun was out, and wizards were making sure that it would be out for the next three days that this great event would take place. Knights, warriors, and mercenaries from all around the world had come to take part, along with countless nobles, playwrights, actors, puppeteers, and commoners. Not to mention blacksmiths, merchants, cooks, and synthesists who were also here. The Inns in Alexandria were so crowded that several make-shift inns had to be made from pre-existing buildings.  
  
Steiner walked onto the "main street" and saw peopled going from stand to stand looking at some exotic jewelry being sold, the merchant claiming it came from a place called Madain Sari on another continent. Blacksmiths and Synthesists were setting out armor, swords, shields, and all kinds of various items out. Steiner looked over one stand that was selling a style of armor called "Grand Armor," and the smith claimed it was the strongest armor in all creation. He would have bought it, but he lacked the money.  
  
Steiner found his way to the jousting field, and saw hundreds of tents being set up for the beginning of the Joust later on today. Even now, the five tents at the end of the field, one for each of the Princesses champions, were already set-up, but the champions themselves were nowhere to be found. Probably off enjoying themselves before the joust began.  
  
Steiner himself was unsure of which competition to enter, himself. For knights there was the joust, and later on an "everyone for himself" melee. Beyond that there would be an archery competition, a tourney of singers, a spear-throwing contest, and one-on-one duels, along with many others. He had a tent, and he had a family sigil to put on it, and he firmly believed that he could stand up to any knight in the land.  
  
Still. The five champions were supposed to be the best in the land. There was Sir Alexander Karright called "The Eagle of Lindblum," Lady Tarra Sanderveil of Alexandria, Sir Genis Durgan of Burmecia, Lady Jane Vander of Alexandria, called "The Blood Rose," and finally was Lady Beatrix Dubois, of Alexandria.  
  
Steiner found himself walking towards the sign-in table anyway.  
  
"What competition do you wish to enter?" The woman at the table said.  
  
"Who are the favorites to win the joust?" He asked.  
  
"At the moment, either Sir Karright, or Lady Beatrix." She said.  
  
"All right, I am Sir Adelbert Steiner, of Alexandria. I'd like to sign in the joust." She signed down his name, and rank.  
  
"Do you have a tent?"  
  
"Yes."  
  
"The Joust won't start for several more hours. Give your tent, and shield to those men," She pointed to several men putting up a tent, "And they'll set it up."  
  
"My thanks."  
  
*******************  
  
Now this was fine food.  
  
Beatrix sat in the back row of one of the actors pavilions. She had a few sausages wrapped in paper in one hand, and a horn of ale in the other.  
  
One thing about Tourney's, the brought the best of all trades from across the world to one place, she had gotten these sausages from someone from a far off place called Daguerreo. She was dressed in what passed for normal clothes for her, a pair of brown leggings, covered by a jacket-like top that was cut long at the bottom like a cape, and had a plunging neckline over her chest, with cords tying it together in front of her. On the back of it was a rose, and a large belt hung lose around her slim waist. Buckled to the belt was her two-handed long sword "Rose Thorn," custom made for her by the Synthesist in Alexandria, and costing a small fortune.  
  
At the front of the pavilion, a group of actors performed, recreating the legend of General Madeline on the stage in front of her.  
  
"Why do I have to make such a choice as this?" The actress playing Madeline said, looking at a paper moon, from a false balcony. "Duty to my country, or love for a soldier of our enemies? Alas, I can only have one."  
  
Beatrix had always respected General Madeline, and she knew this was a true story, but she couldn't help but roll her eyes at the somewhat corny acting. She ate what was left of her food, and drank down the ale, and sat through the last of the play, watching as Madeline's love died in her arms, and she lead her woefully small battalion against Lindblum's armies, dieing dramatically, as the last of her battalion was defeated. Beatrix had heard this story hundreds of times, and decided to look for something else.  
  
There where puppeteers, and actor's pavilions lining the makeshift streets, each showcasing different stories. She saw a puppeteer performing "Derrick the Dragon's Bane" for a group of awe-struck children. She stopped for a moment to see the knight puppet cut the head off the Dragon puppet with one blow. The children cheered, and Beatrix smiled at the sight.  
  
Beatrix finally stopped at the largest pavilion of all, it was the size of the royal courtroom, and covered with a huge tent made in bright colors. She stepped inside and saw they where just starting. She quickly sat down, and the play began.  
  
A man in bard's clothes stepped out onto the stage.  
  
"In ancient times of yore, when Burmecian's flew among the sky on dragonback, when great men walked the land, Men with the power to shake the Earth, there was a dark and evil place. This place was an island in the far Northern sea and it was ruled by Magus Sogal, the man history called the Dark Dragon King."  
  
So that was the play, Beatrix thought. She had not heard the Dark Dragon War tale in quite awhile.  
  
"But where there are evil men, there are heroes to combat them. Burmecia's King Kain, with his great lance of blue and gold, Tiath, boy king of Alexandria, wielder of the great light sword Excalibur II. They and many others rose their banners to face him, but the greatest hero of this war was Kain's son, Elaris, who, wielding.Ah! But I must not spoil the tale for you. For what I have spoken so far is but a summary of the event of the First Dark Dragon War. Now, on with our show!!"  
  
Beatrix clapped with the rest of the audience, as the actor playing the Dark Dragon King entered the stage, a huge wood, and cloth black dragon was slid onto stage next to him.  
  
"Soon, my dark pet, soon the night shall fall over this land, and my rule shall be unquestioned! My darkness shall cover all people, and their hearts and minds will be mine!" He said in a great booming voice.  
  
Beatrix settled down in her seat, and reminded herself not to get too comfortable, the Joust would start in a few hours, and she had the dubious honor of being one of the Princesses champions. She fussed absentmindedly at the silk scarf tied around her upper arm. Itself a sign of her status as a champion, a small wisp of silk decorated with a rose and crossed swords.  
  
To think, only about three years since she was knighted, and here she was, one of the Princesses champions. Life was pretty good.  
  
******************  
  
Adelbert Steiner finished the tankard of mead in his hands, and relaxed. He sat in a makeshift seat at a small table inside his tent. In front of him was a list of all the knights and warriors who where taking part in the joust. Steiner humphed, even knowing who was competing wasn't helping him.  
  
Steiner got out of his chair, and walked to the entrance. Outside the tent, and next to the door was a large metal and wood shield, bearing Steiner's family crest, a chocobo with a pair of crossed swords underneath it, against an ocean blue background. He, like every other knight here, had such a shield outside their tents, each bearing a crest saying what warrior fought here.  
  
He saw the cracked skull of the family Holdem, the dove of family Sorenson, the sword and shining sunbeams of family Baros, and hundreds more. Steiner sighed and tried not to think about how many warriors stood between him and victory.  
  
"Having doubts, good sir?" A jovial voice spoke. Steiner turned in surprise. Beside him was a tall man, dressed in bright silver armor, and a white tankard, decorated with a sigil of a diving eagle, against a background of a golden sun. It was finished with a long white cape. The man had thick hair that was, nonetheless, gone to grey, and a few wrinkles decorated his face, along with a thick white mustache. Despite this he looked strong as a man thirty years younger.  
  
"Of course not." He said, trying to put on an air of great confidence. But this man wasn't fooled for a second, and he answered with a warm friendly grin.  
  
"It's alright my friend, Even a man of my experience can feel fear and uncertainty before a joust. I have taken part in, and won countless such contests, yet I can still feel worry going into such a thing." The man spoke in his soft, strong voice. Steiner lowered his face in embarrassment, before straightening again.  
  
"Forgive me, I am Sir Adelbert Steiner, of his majesties Knights of Pluto." He reached out his hand, and the man shook it.  
  
"I, Sir Steiner, and Sir Alexander Karright." Steiner felt shock pass through him, as he saw the band of silk tied around the man's upper arm, silk decorated with a rose and crossed swords. One of the Princesses champions.  
  
"The.The Eagle of Lindblum?" Steiner stuttered out. The man merely smiled slightly.  
  
"That is what the songwriters call me." The man walked over to the Shield in front of Steiner's tent.  
  
"Ah yes, I remember your family now. I fought side-by-side with your father once."  
  
"Really?" Steiner said with slight surprise.  
  
"Quite so, he was a good and honorable man. He was not overly skilled at the joust, but he always carried himself with a great air of respect and honor."  
  
Steiner managed to stutter out a thank you, and invited him into his tent.  
  
"I'm afraid I do not have the time." Sir Karright said with a friendly smile. I am just having a look at my competition, and I happened across a very nervous looking young knight." Sir Karright clapped him once on the shoulder, "Do not allow your fears to overcome you my young friend, if you go in expecting to lose, you will."  
  
"Thank you sir." Steiner said, and bowed slightly. Sir Karright smiled and walked off. Steiner sighed a bit, and returned to his tent, thinking of what he had been told.  
  
TO BE CONTINUED. 


	7. Chapter seven: The Tourney at Old's Ford...

KNIGHTS: Those left behind  
  
By: Matt Taylor  
  
Disclaimer: All characters below are the property of Squaresoft, I receive no payment from their use.  
  
******************  
  
THE PAST  
  
Adelbert Steiner felt a sharp jab of force go through his arm, as his lance splintered against his opponent's breast plate. The one facing him was a soldier in the uniform of Alexandria, her own lance deflecting off of Steiner's shield. Steiner felt a moment of joy as his opponent fell off of her Chocobo, and her squire rushed up with her sword.  
  
Steiner dismounted and pulled his own sword from it's place at his side, mentally patting himself on the back for deciding to carry it into the joust. Steiner met her downward swing with ease, and forced her back, swinging at her with a blow that sent her to her knees. The soldier tried to force her way back to her feet. But Steiner's superior strength won out, as he started hammering at her with his own blows, each one meeting her sword and knocking her a little more off balance, before she finally fell. The woman put her hands up and acceded defeat.  
  
Some of the crowd cheered, while those who had bet on the female soldier winning booed. Steiner sheathed the blunted tourney sword in its sheath, before walking over to the sign in stand.  
  
"Congratulations Sir Steiner." The man behind the desk said, and handed him a small pouch, that jingled with the sound of gil coins. The prize for his winning.  
  
Steiner sighed in pleasure and returned to his tent. Of course, this small amount of gil was nothing compared to the victor's purse, which would go to whoever was the last survivor of the Joust. Steiner smiled, as this was his second victory today. Steiner found his way back to his tent, and sat down in front, taking a swig from a skin of water hanging from a post by the door.  
  
Steiner leaned back in his chair and allowed himself a moment to relax. Steiner had faced down two opponents already, and won, which was more than could be said for some of the other knights, who he could see where already removing their tents from the field. He looked up and saw another two knights jousting, riding on the backs of chocobo. One was Sir Alexander Karright. He watched as the old knight's lance struck his opponents helmet, sending the rider cartwheeling off into the ground, where he was dragged off, unconscious by his squire.  
  
Adelbert watched the Eagle of Lindblum leave the field, showered with the cheers of the people. Though he had been a knight for over forty years, Sir Karright's strength had not waned a bit. He sat back and wondered what he would do if the lists ended up putting him against the old knight. Steiner thought this over as the joust continued.  
  
*****************  
  
Sir Steiner was not the only knight enjoying themselves. Beatrix had taken down three opponents so far, and was currently sitting in front of her tent, drinking an small glass of wine. The prize money for these smaller matches wasn't that much, but it was enough to order a better than average bottle of cherry wine.  
  
Beatrix sighed in contentment, and watched one of her fellow champions, The Burmecian Sir Genis Durgan dispatch a large man, with an equally large lance. It was no surprise that he was winning, Burmecians were experts with spears and lances. The huge man hit the ground with a thud, that almost shook the ground. The man's squire rushed out with a huge battle axe, and Sir Durgan was off his chocobo, a long lance tossed to him by his own squire. The two ran at each other, and in a few minutes it was over. The man's axe was broken in two, and he was on the ground.  
  
The crowd cheered, as Sir Durgan was declared the winner. Beatrix felt a small moment of self doubt. She was the youngest and least experienced of the Princess five champions, and in every tourney she knew of, the youngest where always the first to go.  
  
Beatrix shook her head, and banished such thoughts from her mind. It would do no good to start worrying, especially this soon in the event.  
  
Beatrix put the cork back in her bottle of wine, and set it in a small bucket of ice. Going into a joust drunk was a surefire road to embarrassment and dishonor. Beatrix got up and stretched, took up her sword, and shield, and went looking for someone to challenge next.  
  
*****************  
  
The first day of the tourney ended with the setting of the sun. Steiner walked down the streets, watching the various merchants close their stalls, and put away their wares for the night. The night was alive though, alive with the sound of revelers, celebrating an excellent day of jousting with a few extra drinks.  
  
On a normal day, Steiner would have frowned at such excesses, but his victories of the day had put him in a surprisingly good mood, and the significant jingle of Gil from the pouch at his side helped as well. He had gone undefeated so far, and no one was more surprised that Adelbert Steiner himself.  
  
Steiner stopped and stretched out for a moment, considering where he was. It was a good walk still to the castle, and even longer to the soldier's barracks with in. He had not had supper yet, and considered just getting it free from the soldier's cafeteria. He looked down at the gil pouch at his side, and smiled. He had the money, why not use it? He might find a nicer than average inn, and stay the night as well.  
  
Soon enough, Steiner stood in front of the Golden Horn, an Inn in the heart of the Merchant's district. It was six stories tall, standing out in front were a pair of wood pillars, waxed till they shown like gold. Steiner nodded once, and stepped in. He found himself in the inn's common room. Surprisingly, it was much quieter that Steiner expected an Inn open during tourney would be. He walked up to the man behind the bar.  
  
"One room for the evening please." He said.  
  
"With dinner and breakfast?" The man asked.  
  
"Yes."  
  
"1000 gil." The man said. Steiner reeled at the price, but he had more than enough, and felt like indulging himself. Steiner nodded, and signed his name to the book.  
  
"Dinner will be served in a few minutes." He said. Steiner thanked him and sat down at one of the long tables. Steiner leaned back on the chair, and scanned the room. This Inn was obviously a cut above the normal types, as evidenced by the rather expensive looking décor, and the price for just one night.  
  
He sat quietly for awhile, his memory going back to his victories during the day. He sat there for some time until a young woman placed a plate of cooked meat and vegetables, and a glass and flagon of wine in front of him. He nodded to her and she took that as a cue to leave.  
  
"Do you mind if I join you, sir knight?" came a voice. It was masculine, yet musical and strangely accented. Steiner lifted his head and saw a tall Burmecian standing across from him. The rat-person had lanky blonde hair that fell from his head, and held both a silver and gold harp, and a spear with a long curved blade. Steiner looked at him curiously for a moment. The Burmecian merely grinned.  
  
"Ah! I have forgotten my knightly manners." With this, he took off his hat and bowed with a flourish. "Sir Fratley De Montes! Dragon Knight of Burmecia, at your service."  
  
Steiner flushed slightly and got to his feet, bowing in a more formal way. "Sir Adelbert Steiner, Knight Commander of his majesties Knights of Pluto, at your service and your families."  
  
"Now that we have greeted each other as befitting our stations, may I sit?" Fratley asked, pointing to the chair across from him.  
  
"Please."  
  
Fratley lay his spear against the side of the table, put a large leather patch over the blade, and tied it on tight. He motioned with his hand to the waitress, who quickly brought over a plate and drink the same as Steiner's own. The man looked somewhat familiar to Steiner, he looked over him for a moment, before remembering.  
  
"Ah yes, I know you. You won the spear toss today."  
  
"Quite right!" He said, proudly grinning, "I also won a few contests of lesser import, and they have given me the gil I need to enjoy supper at this rather expensive place. Though I only saw a bit of today's jousting, I remember you. You must have won as well to be eating here?"  
  
"Yes, eating and spending the night." Steiner said, holding up his gil pouch for a moment.  
  
"Then you must have won quite a bit! A place like this is usually set aside for nobles, or very rich merchants. But most of the nobles here are knights and warriors, and thus are sleeping in their tourney tents. You are not?" Fratley asked.  
  
Steiner ground his teeth for a moment, not wishing to tell this man that at the beginning he had the coin for a tent, but not enough for a cot.  
  
"I merely decided to.live a little, so to speak. A man of my family has rarely, if ever stayed in so nice an inn as this."  
  
"Hah! As good a reason as any!" Said Fratley. Picking up his cup and taking a swing from it. With this, the two men found themselves getting along rather well, sharing stories of some legendary deed of a hero local to them, or a tale of some great prowess done by one of them in battle. It was a enjoyable meal for both. They were still talking when dessert came.  
  
"...And so there I was, surrounded by goblins, each one with a curved knife, and riding one of these small winged lizards." Fratley said, as he chewed on a cream roll. "I had the double duty of defending myself and my father, who was, by then, having too much trouble nursing his broken leg to fight. So I stood over him and swung with all my might. I took down two of them, slicing them in half. But Goblins are cowardly creatures, better at attacking from behind then from the front. One jumped off his mount, and onto my back trying to cut my throat." Fratley finished one roll, and started on another from the largely stacked plate between the two of them. Steiner listened intently as he finished his own.  
  
"I tossed the thing over my shoulders and used it own knife to kill it, when another one jumped me, and stabbed me straight in the back. I grabbed it with my hands and broke its neck, but the pain was so intense that I fell to the ground, certain that I was going to die. However the gods were smiling on me. Not only are Goblins cowardly, they are also very stupid. Of the five remaining two began to cheer in victory, one turned around to slap them, and the other two watched." Fratley put down the roll, an drank from his cup again.  
  
"This gave me a chance to use what strength I had left, and reach the hi- potion at my belt. I drank it down in a flash and was on my feet again. In the short time of three seconds, two were decapitated, and the one that turned around found a knife in "it's" back. The last two were nothing. Soon enough I was carrying my father back to the entrance to Gizamaluke's grotto. Though it took all that was left of the potion I had brought. I was in bed for a week from that stabbing, and my father much longer. Nevertheless, it made a decent song."  
  
"Too true."  
  
"But, I find it surprising that none of written any songs of your exploits, Sir Steiner."  
  
"Well, my duties as Knight Commander of the Knights of Pluto takes much of my time. Especially training my men."  
  
"The Knight's of Pluto are Alexandria's only male battalion, correct? It must be difficult, living up to the standard General Soress sets?" Fratley said, sympathetically.  
  
"I must admit, that on occasion it is." That was the truth. In many ways Steiner couldn't help but feel inferior to his old commander, Michael Dewain. Dewain had died during the siege of Magdalene woods three years prior, where Steiner had been knighted.  
  
"But enough talk about that, Are you taking part in anything else tomorrow?" Steiner asked.  
  
"Tomorrow the tournament of singers begins. I and my harp are taking part." Fratley lifted up his harp from it's place next to his foot. Its main body was delicately crafted silver, covered in "vines" made of emeralds. The strings were thin and delicate angel hair, which shimmered when they hit the light. Fratley struck a chord on it, sending a beautiful note through the room, causing several people to turn and look at them.  
  
"With a harp like that, you are bound to win."  
  
"It is a heirloom of my house, passed down from the age of wonders." Fratley said, wistfully. Though he was looking at the harp, Steiner could tell from, his eyes that he was far away.  
  
"I have been told many stories about those days, the age before the Mist." Steiner.  
  
"Yes, but tales of it are part of my blood." Fratley said, almost sadly. "My family is the blood of Elaris, The Sacred Dragoon."  
  
"The one from the stories of the Dark Dragon War?"  
  
"Aye. He stood upon the back of Bahamut, and flung that Dragon's Hair lance with such force that it split the heavens, slaying the Dark Dragon king where he stood." Fratley said, leaning back and staring at the ceiling. "Once upon a time, Burmecians flew into battle on the backs of dragons, and the boundaries of the City of Roses spread to the far reaches of Gaia."  
  
"Yes. But those days are gone, and there is little we can do about it." Steiner said, drinking from his wine cup.  
  
"Yes, but I can see it in my heart. All of it gone, the Mist came and it was all gone." Fratley, shook his head from side to side, as if trying to shake something off him.  
  
"But, enough of that." Fratlet, wrapped his harp up in a long sash and placed it in his backpack, stood up and shouldered his spear. "I can see by the darkness outside that it is getting late, and I should probably be heading back to my own tent."  
  
Steiner felt genuinely sorry to see the Burmecian go, but he was right.  
  
"Very well then." Steiner stood and they shook hands.  
  
"Until tomorrow." Fratley saluted and walked off. Steiner sat down once again, staying there for several minutes, before picking up his sword, and heading to his room.  
  
*****************  
  
It was already halfway through the second day of jousting that Steiner found himself trudging towards the King's pavilion, scowling. It had only been half an hour ago that he had been walking towards his tent from getting a drink, that he ran into a nobleman who had been looking for a knight. He had told him that a small boy had been running around the tourney field, throwing mud in the faces of daughters of various nobles before running off. The noblemen said that he had just done it to his daughter.  
  
Steiner had stayed around the pavilion where most of the nobles where gathered, and had been lucky enough to catch the boy as he hopped down from the top of the pavilions awning. Steiner had just got a hold of the fast boy, grabbing him by what was now obviously a tail.  
  
"Hey! You jerk, that hurts!" The boy yelled. Now his tail was strongly clutched in Steiner's hand, as he carried him to see the general. Steiner spared the boy a short look. He was blonde, and no older that the princess, if Steiner was any judge. While there where many people in Gaia who were somewhat odd looking, he had never seen one with a monkey tail before.  
  
"Put me down yah big dope, and fight me like a man!" The boy yelled. Steiner merely humphed, as he reached the kings stands. Like all other soldiers, Steiner had received instructions to bring any thieves or troublemakers to general Sorress. He looked around and saw her sitting next to the king in the higher seats. Steiner managed to work his way through the crowds, and up to the makeshift seats, all the while controlling the struggling boy, but he finally made it.  
  
"General Sorress." Steiner said, saluting, as the general stood up.  
  
"Sir Steiner, some trouble?" She asked. Steiner spared one short look over and saw the king watching them. Next to him was a large pig humanoid who had laid eyes on the boy in Steiner's grasp, groaned, and now lay his head in his hand.  
  
"General. This boy has been bothering some of the nobles."  
  
"What's he been doing?"  
  
"He's been throwing mud in the faces of their daughters, and then running. He's slippery, I only just caught him." The general frowned down at the boy, and took him, by the tail, from his hand. Steiner couldn't help but notice that her grip on his tail was even stronger than his had been.  
  
"Ow! What do you think you're doing you %@$#&?!" The boy yelled at the top of his lungs. Suddenly, the large pig human was standing next to her.  
  
"He belongs to me Millie. Let me handle this." The man said, He took the young boy, gripping him by the back of his vest, and lifting him up to eye level.  
  
"Zidane! What the &%$$ are you doing here!? I told you to stay with Blank." The man said. Steiner grimaced slightly at the swearing, but remained quiet.  
  
"Blank's boring! All he ever talks about nowadays is girls. I hate girls." The boy called Zidane said.  
  
"You may be thinking differently in a few years lad." The king said, stepping up behind them, an amused smile on his lip. The large pig human looked rather embarrassed.  
  
"Excuse me for a moment, Stephan, I need to go deliver some discipline."  
  
"Gaahh! Not again." The boy said, fear evident on his face. The king chuckled lowly.  
  
"He's just a boy, Baku, go easy on him."  
  
"Bah! If you let 'em get away with too much when they're this age, they'll think they can get away with anything. One thing that I never let my people get away with is defying my orders." The large pig human walked away, his fists clenched, as the boy continued to wail. The King looked back to Steiner.  
  
"Anything else you need Sir Steiner?" He asked, smiling. Steiner quickly saluted.  
  
"No your highness." Adelbert bowed and left.  
  
******************  
  
Beatrix lowered her tired body onto her makeshift cot in her tent.  
  
"Gah! That hurts." She reached over to a her bag on the floor and managed to get it open somehow, pulling a Hi-potion out. She screwed off the top and drank down the bland tasting liquid.  
  
Despite the sudden urge to wretch, she felt many of her wounds and bruises leave. She sighed in relief and reached for her water-skin to wash out the horrible taste. She had won her last joust, though God only knew how. She had been up against a particularly large Lindblum knight. The strike by his lance had knocked her shield aside, and whacked rather hard into her shoulder.  
  
She had hit the ground hard, and could see stars. Nevertheless she had forced herself to her feet, quick enough to block a blow from his sword with her gauntleted forearm. She had rolled away and managed to pull her own sword out. The man's sword came down again, she caught it on her sword, but was soon forced down to her knees by his massive strength.  
  
Beatrix refused to quit though, she had gone undefeated against over twenty opponent so far, and wasn't about to give up here. She pulled her sword away quickly, and moved to the side, allowing the other sword to go down into the ground. The knight struggled with it for a moment, as she got behind him, and kicked him in the back of the knee. He yelled and went down to one knee, and she was on him in a flash.  
  
Her blunted sword whacked into his helmet again and again. Beatrix had stopped even trying to control it. Strangely enough, the man wasn't down. He swung one fist into her stomach, and she fell back in pain. His sword was free again, and he brought it up for a massive overhand swing.  
  
Beatrix had enough sense to move, and it barely missed her. He was quicker this time though, slashing sideways, and catching her in the ribs. Though the blunted swords couldn't draw blood, this hurt horribly. She was thrown a few feet, but managed to keep her own sword. Beatrix forced herself to leap to her feet, as he charged. She quickly leapt at him, wrapping her arm around his head, and falling backwards, forcing him down with a loud "clang."  
  
He tmanaged to force himself up on his knees, but she was there already, sword flying. Soon the man lay unconscious, and her not far from that state herself. Nevertheless, she raised her hand in victory, to the adulation of the roaring crowd. She accepted her prize money, and began to force her way back to her tent.  
  
Now she lay on the cot, still moaning slightly, It was almost evening, so she could stand not taking part in any more jousts for the day.  
  
She wondered. It was the end of the second day of jousting, and only those with the best record would be admitted to the finals. 21 wins, and no losses. That would probably be good enough to get her in. She hoped so. Of course, the candidates wouldn't be announced until tomorrow.  
  
Beatrix tried to sit up, but clutched her side, and went back to lying down. She reached over the side of her bed, fumbling around, until she found her bag and another Hi-potion. She wondered if the judges would hold back to the tournament while she lay there for the next three days.  
  
She grinned, screwed off the cap, and drank the potion down.  
  
******************  
  
TO BE CONTINUED  
  
Author's Notes: I'm very sorry for how long it took to get this chapter out. It's a combination of work, writers block, and I'm sad to admit hat I lost interest in the fic for awhile, I'm a little ashamed of myself for doing so. Also I just recently got over a kidney Stone, easily one of the most physically painful things I've ever gone through. For my readers I'm very sorry. I hope you aren't too upset.  
  
The fic won't be much longer anyway. The next one will end the "tourney" part, and focus a bit more on Freya and Frtaley. I promise I'll get it out. 


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